


Pokemon Stars

by Sleepy_Dormouse



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Haikyuu Pokemon AU, I will add more characters as the story goes on because there are just so many, M/M, Pokemon AU, Pokemon Journey, Romance, tsukkiyama - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2019-06-17 12:44:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 37
Words: 135,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15461652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sleepy_Dormouse/pseuds/Sleepy_Dormouse
Summary: With fierce battles and aggressive trainers how will timid Yamaguchi Tadashi find his place in the Pokemon world. Traveling beside his best friend, Tsukishima Kei, hopefully he will find his calling and prove to himself and the world that he is more than just a shy boy from Poni Island. **This is a Tsukkiyama Pokemon Au fic.** **Hey all! I updated some of the tags. I added two minor ships that will eventually showcase in the story as side pairings. They aren't going to be the main event though. That title goes to Tsukkiyama so anyone looking for fics focusing on those side ships this fic may not quench that thirst. I just don't want to lead anyone on. Other ships will also appear but I have chosen not to add them to the tags yet so as to not spoil the story. Enjoy <3**





	1. The Day We Met

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my dear readers. How are you all doing. As I’ve promised here is my Tsukkiyama Pokemon AU fic. As I did with my last fic, the Tsukkiyama mermaid au (The Lost Little Sea Star), I plan to post one chapter a week. When I am going to skip a week I will warn in the chapter prior. I tend to post chapters on Fridays or Saturday. I hope you will all enjoy this little fic. I do enjoy Pokemon so much and have always dreamed of making a pokemon AU fic for myself.
> 
> You will find out very soon that I am a very big fan of the Kalos region and that is the region this fill will mostly take place. Everything in this fic will be pulled from gen 1 to gen 7 content (the current gen). The vast majority of this Pokemon AU will be taken from the games with small influence from the anime (such as the league competition) but if you were to ask me what world this is from and it’s history I would say it’s more closely lined up with the game’s canon with Red than with the Pokemon canon with Ash.
> 
> I may reference some characters from the Pokemon games and characters such an Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny as well as the professors will appear in this fic. Most characters from the Pokemon series will mostly play as background characters just to make it feel like it is really being set in the Pokemon world.
> 
> I am unsure how many of you are acquainted with all gens of Pokemon but I am going to write with the assumption those reading this are well enough acquainted with the Pokemon universe. You don’t need to know anything about prior anime/game plots really but if you don’t know what a Net Ball or a Luxury ball than you may need to reference wiki, though things like that don’t really matter plot wise. Do let me know if you all feel like you need an explanation on Items or Pokemon in this fic and I can add some footnotes at the bottom for you.
> 
> I do plan on fiddling with the age of when a trainer goes out on journeys and how compitions work since the game/anime just kind of has 10 year olds battling 50 year olds in the league. If meddling with the anime system ain’t your cup of tea than I am sorry. I will post a better explanation of how the league works in a later chapter.
> 
> As for the Tsukkiyama in this fic it is going to probably be very slow going. It won’t be as to the point as my last fic. This fic will focus heavily on them as trainers and their growing love is more of a side dish. I call this a Tsukkiyama fic as a point for those who may not care for the ship (I for one LOVE IT). If you are looking for something that is solely focused on Tsukkiyama than take some time to read my mermaid AU (The Lost Little Sea Star) as that is more of a traditional love story. This Pokemon AU fic is going to lean more towards adventure! HURRAY!
> 
> I’d like to think my beta reader heichousheadphones (https://heichousheadphones.tumblr.com/) for taking time from their busy day to help me with my horrible grammar and for also helping me go through the thinking process while writing this little fic.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Haikyuu! Duh! (Do people even do this anymore?)
> 
> I promise the rest of my chapters will not have notes this long.
> 
> With all that being said I am very excited to debut my Pokemon AU Tsukkiyama fic! I hope you enjoy!

“What a loser!” the cruel sneer of a young trainer echoed down the path of route 2. Three sickening cackles filled the air as a small freckled boy was pushed roughly into the dirt.

Several frightened Pikipek took flight from the nearby tall grass as Yamaguchi fell hard to the ground. Yamaguchi’s small arms clamped desperately around his fainted Popplio as he did his best to protect his beloved partner from the beating of the bullies. As the sun set over the tropical ocean the three long shadows of Yamaguchi’s tormentors surrounded him. Yamaguchi held Popplio close as he failed to muster up the courage to fight back.

“A freckled faced loser like you shouldn’t be allowed a Pokemon!” one of the boy sneered as he kicked dirt into Yamagichi’s face. Yamaguchi closed his eyes as the dirt made a direct hit. Some particles got into his mouth causing him to sputter.

“He couldn’t even win a single battle! How long have you been traveling anyways?” laughed the third largest boy cruelly. “A loser like you shouldn’t be called a trainer.”

The boy’s words were true and they cut deep as tears began to form in Yamaguchi’s eyes. He and Popplio had been traveling for three days and all he had to show for it were these three bullies who wouldn’t lay off.

“Look! He’s going to cry,” the first boy pointed out loudly, a wicked grin decorated his face.

“Not again,” the second boy mocked as he loomed over Yamaguchi. “What a cry baby. Maybe if he cried enough it can wash away those freckles from his ugly face.”

Tears trailed down Yamaguchi’s cheeks as he looked to the three bullies afraid to make a move. This wasn’t the first time he had run into them. The last time he had stood up for himself it had ended with several bruises and most of his money stolen. He held Popplio close as they kicked dirt in his general direction once more.

“We won this last battle so what are you going to give us this time, crybaby?” The largest of the boys sneered. Yamaguchi chose not to reply as he glared up at his bullies. 

“If he doesn't have anything good on him than we should just take his Pokemon!” one of the bullies suggested as they closed in on Yamaguchi.

“Good idea,” The larger bully growled. “I’ve always wanted a Popplio.”

“No!” Yamaguchi squeaked, scooting away in a panic. With the bullies now surrounding him, Yamaguchi had nowhere to run.

 

“How pathetic,” a dry voice cut through the warm tropical air.

“What! Who said that!” spat the largest of the three as they all stopped their pursuit on Yamaguchi, straightening up to see who the offender was. Yamaguchi glanced up hoping to get a look of his saviour. 

Strutting over to the four boys was a blond boy who was much, much taller than any of them. He had a cocky smirk on his face as he closed in. The boys amber eyes studied the three bullies before making eye contact with Yamaguchi. A boy like this would have normally terrified Yamaguchi but at the moment Yamaguchi could not help but look to him for help. 

“Who are you?” spat the largest bully as he sized the blond boy up.

“What’s it matter to you?” The blond boy challenged as he loomed over Yamaguchi’s bullies. 

“A-are you looking for a fight?” one of the other bullies sneered, though his voice wavered a bit.

“Bring it!” the blond boy cooly replied without a flinch.The three bullies resolve seemed to shatter as the blond boy took another step forward causing the size difference to show twofold. 

“Y-You’re lucky m-my P-Pokemon are t-tired!” the largest of the bullies stuttered as he backed off. The other two bullies looked to their friend in mild shocked before following suit.

“Such big talk for so little to show,” the blond boy mocked.

Yamaguchi’s eyes grew in amazement as the three bullies back off even more. The three boys looked simultaneously furious and terrified. The blond boy was simply amazing. Yamaguchi’s eyes grew in awe as he looked at the snarky blond boy.

“You better watch your back, kid,” one of the bullies spat none too threatening. With that the three turned tail and ran like cowards in the direction to route 3.

“Oh, I’m so scared,” the blond boy called after before exploding into a condescending fit of laughter.

Still on the ground, Yamaguchi’s eyes grew in utter awe as his saviour's laughter dies down. How had he been able to stand up to those bullies so easily? Yamaguchi wished more than ever to be as brave as this boy. 

The blond boys sharp amber eyes shot to Yamaguchi, making direct eye contact with him. Still in awe Yamaguchi did not flinch as the tall boy took a few steps towards him. The two held their gazer for a long quiet moment. The sound of the rolling ocean could be heard in the distance as Yamaguchi felt something pass between himself and his saviour.

“You should get your Popplio to the Pokemon center,” the blond boy pointed out flatly.

“Huh?” Yamaguchi gasped as he came back to reality. He still held his fainted Popplio tight in his arms. “Oh right,” he said more to himself than to the boy.

Another quiet moment passed between the two before the blond boy turned on his heels and headed down the path towards Hau'oli City. Still in mild shock Yamaguchi sat dumbfounded. He wanted to call after the boy but his voice didn’t seem to want to work right. With bated breath, Yamaguchi watched the boy disappear into the sunset.

~*~*~*~*~

It was the next day and Yamaguchi found himself returning to Hau'oli City’s Pokemon Center. He had arrived there the night before just after dark. He had passed off his fainted Popplio to Nurse Joy who scolded him for allowing Popplio to stay fainted for so long. Yamaguchi hadn’t the courage to tell her of his bullies, choosing to stay quiet as she told him off. She had than sent him away saying that his Popplio would be back to full health in the morning. 

Yamaguchi had decided to head out in the morning to pick up one of Popplio’s favorite treats, a fresh soft malasada. Though Yamaguchi had practically cried himself to sleep the night before, he found himself in slightly better spirits this morning. It was another sunny day on Melemele Island and Yamaguchi was anxious to see how Popplio was doing. 

As he entered the Pokemon center he unconsciously grabbed the straps of his backpack and hunched his shoulders. If someone asked him why he would do such a thing he’d tell them because he didn’t want to accidentally bump into someone. The reality was that he didn’t want to draw attention to himself in case another aggressive trainer targets him as their next prey. To Yamaguchi's pleasure, the lobby of the Pokemon Center was none too crowded. Perhaps too early for most trainers to be up. Or maybe most trainers were already on the road onto their next adventure. Whatever the reason, Yamaguchi was grateful for the lack of people.

Ever so meekly Yamaguchi stepped into the Pokemon Center. Not wanting to disrupt the few people that did decorate the lobby, Yamaguchi delicately walked to the front counter. He looked to the floor, doing his best to avoid eye contact. In his diligence to stay unnoticed, he failed in noticing the person in front of him. Before he knew it he found himself bumping into something tall and soft.

“Ouch!” the object grumbled.

Yamaguchi felt a shiver run down his spine as he looked up to see who the individual might be. His eyes widened and his fear subsided upon seeing the blond boy from yesterday. The blond boy looked down on Yamaguchi in milde annoyance. 

“It’s you!” Yamaguchi gasped, pointing to the boy.

The boy’s annoyance changed to confusion as he carried on staring at Yamaguchi.

“Yesterday! On route 2,” Yamaguchi clumsily explained as panic began to build in the pit of his stomach. “Y-you chased off those bullies who were tormenting me…” he mumbled as he fiddled his fingers anxiously. 

The blond boy looked long and hard at Yamaguchi, his expression still held a hint of surprise. “I don’t remember you being there…” the boy shrugged.

Yamaguchi’s anxiety was overtook by pure shock. Had his saviour really forgotten about him or was he just fibbing? Yamaguchi couldn't tell. He quickly shook off his shock as the boys looked to him in concern.

“W-well, I wanted to thank you anyways,” Yamaguchi carried on shyly. “You really helped me out.”

“Not a problem,” The boy shrugged, seeming none too interested in the subject. 

“M-My name is Yamaguchi…” Yamaguchi introduced himself as he fidgeted awkwardly. “Yamaguchi Tadashi,” he clarified as his small hands fiddled with this backpack strap. He glanced up to the boy in hope of a reply.

“Tsukishima Kei,” they boy flatly replied as he looked down at Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi could not tell if Tsukishima was even interested in the pleasantries. Regardless, Yamaguchi wanted to do his best to get to know his saviour.

“S-So, are you new to the Island Trials?” Yamaguchi awkwardly carried on.

“Yep, I just started a few days ago,” Tsukishima replied with a shrug.

Yamaguchi perked up. He had thought the boy to be older than him but if he had just started then he must be the same age as himself. “That must mean you’re 10 years old, too!” Yamaguchi unintentionally blurted out. He immediately put his hands to his mouth looking to Tsukishima with a sorry glance.

“That’s when people start their trials around here, isn’t it?” Tsukishima replied, not seeming bothered by Yamaguchi’s awkward behaviour. 

“Right,” Yamaguchi smiled brightly as his nerves began to fade. “So are you from Melemele Island or do you come from somewhere else? I grew up on Poni Island, myself. I wasn't born there though. I was born on Akala Island but when I was still really young my family moved to Poni Island. It’s my first time exploring Melemele Island all alone like this though,” Yamaguchi rambled as his excitement at possibly making a new friend began to grow. He became aware of his rambling and smiled sheepishly at Tsukishima.

Tsukishima seemed a bit surprised by Yamaguchi’s sudden bout of confidence but wasn’t put off by it. “I actually just moved to Alola not too long ago,” Tsukishima admitted, seeming lost at all the places Yamaguchi had rambled off about.

“You’re not from Alola?” Yamaguchi gasped, his interest increasing twofold.

“No, my family moved here from Unova a few weeks ago,” Tsukishima explained with a small smile. He seemed to enjoy the attention he was receiving from Yamaguchi.

“Unova! That’s amazing!” Yamaguchi gasped, his voice high and breathy. “I’ve always wanted to visit Unova and see all the changing seasons!”

Tsukishima’s smirk grew as he soaked up Yamaguchi’s praise. “Yeah, it’s a pretty great place. I even got my starter from there before I left to come here,” Tsukishima practically puffed in pried as he said this.

“A Unova starter!” Yamaguchi gasped, the poor boy looked as if he was going to explode with amazement. “Which one!? Can I see it?!”

“Sure,” Tsukishima shrugged though he still held a hint of a grin. He pulled a pokeball from his belt. He pushed the small white button at its center causing it to grow and with a flick of his wrist released the pokemon from within it.

A red light shot from the ball to the floor. Yamaguchi’s eye grew with amazement as a green snake like pokemon with tiny arms and legs came into existence. The small green pokemon looked to Yamaguchi none too impressed.

“It’s a Snivy!” Yamaguchi squealed in excitement as he bent down to be on level with Snivy. His large brown eyes grew as he took in a Snivy for the first time ever. The small green pokemon turned it’s nose up at Yamaguchi but had a pompous smile that reminded Yamaguchi of Tsukishima.

“She warms up to new people slowly,” Tsukishima shrugged, not really seeming sorry for Snivy’s standoffish behaviour.

“She is so pretty! I’ve never seen a Snivy before. Wow she is so amazing,” Yamaguchi rambled on, not really offended by Snivy’s snooty behaviour. Side eyeing Yamaguchi, Snivy seemed to show a hint of interest from the slew compliments. Yamaguchi sent a wide grin to the pokemon causing Snivy to look away almost shily. 

“She is a pretty strong Pokemon,” Tsukishima ademited proudly.

“Do you have any other Pokemon?” Yamaguchi asked as he looked up to Tsukishima.

“No, not yet,” Tsukishima said with a small frown.

“Me too,” Yamaguchi sheepishly replied in hope to comfort his new friend.

“My older brother has a lot of Pokemon though,” Tsukishima carried on, his pride beginning to well up once more.

“Wow, really!?” Yamaguchi gasped as he stood up once more. He looked to Tsukishima beckoning him to carry on.

“Yeah, he has an Emboar, Golbat, Scyther, Simipour, Zebstrika and a Gigalith!” Tsukishima listed off. As he did so the stars in Yamaguchi's eyes only grew. “That was the team he used in the Unova League last year,” Tsukishima said as he glowed with pride.

“The Unova League! He competed in a League! Amazing!” Yamaguchi squealed in awe as he almost forgot to breath.

“Yeah, he made it to the top 8,” Tsukishima shrugged, trying to play it off as if it was not a big deal. “He is in Kanto now taking on the Indigo League.”

“Wow! That’s so cool,” Yamaguchi practically exploded in amazement. He’d never met anyone nor anyone’s brother who competed in a League. Yamaguchi was down right starstruck.

“Yeah, I’m excited to go and see him compete at the end of the year like I did when he was in the Unova League,” Tsukishima cooly sighed, though he still swelled with pride. 

“I’ve always wanted to see an official League match!” Yamaguchi bounded where he stood as he spoke.

“One day I am going to be in an official League match just like my big brother,” Tsukishima boasted as he puffed out his chest. 

 

“Oh! Me too! I want to be in one too!” Yamaguchi nodded earnestly.

Just than the Pokemon Center bell chimed as an announcement filled the Lobby. “Yamaguchi Tadashi, your Popplio is ready for pick up.”

“Oh! Thats me!” Yamaguchi perked up looking to the front desk. He then turned to face Tsukishima once more. “Wait here a moment! I want to thank you for helping me out yesterday! After I get Popplio I’ll get you a drink from the cafe.”

Tsukishima replied with a nod and a small shrug. Yamaguchi smiled widely at his new friend before turning to pick up his Popplio. His heart swelled with joy at meeting Tsukishima. Perhaps this would grow into the friendship Yamaguchi had always wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed what I would like to consider the prolog. I had a lot of fun picking out the starters for these two and I knew from the get go what starter Tsukki would have. I mean come on, Snivy screams Tsukki! I had to! Yama was a bit more difficult but after writing out the plot and digging deep I felt Popplio was the bet fit for Yama. Let me know what sort of starter you would have chosen in the comment section below.
> 
> I hope you are all enjoying the story so far. Do let me know if it gets boring or confusing. Your comments will definitely help guide me in later chapters in terms of pacing and such. That being said, I would really love to hear from you all so do leave a review/comment below and let me know what you think of good old chapter on. I am very excited to hear from you all.
> 
> I plan to have chapter 2 up next weekend. Should be on time no problem! I hope you are all ready to joy Yamaguchi and Tsukishima on the start of their pokemon journey next chapter. Where will they go? What will they see? Who will they meet? There is only one way to find out and that is to read on!
> 
> See you all next chapter!!!
> 
> Character in this chapter and their Pokemon:
> 
> Yamaguchi Tadashi - 10 years old  
> Starter - Popplio
> 
> Tsukishima Kei - 10 years old  
> Starter - Snivy


	2. Welcome to Kalos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Wow! I am so happy so many people viewed chapter 1. It really got me excited about posting chapter 2 here! I hope you are all ready to embark on a Pokemon journey with Yama and Tsukki.
> 
> I’d like to think my beta reader heichousheadphones (https://heichousheadphones.tumblr.com/) for taking time from their busy day to help me with my horrible grammar and for also helping me go through the thinking process while writing this little fic.
> 
> Now let’s get going, shall we!!!

“Yamaguchi! Hey, wake up. We’ve landed.”

Yamaguchi’s eyes cracked open as Tsukishima’s voice echoed through his mind. With his body stiff and his neck sore, he was vaguely aware of the fact that they were in motion. Rubbing his eyes he blinked away his fatigue before giving a small stretch. He looked to his side to find his friend flipping through a free magazine provided on the flight. An enthusiastic woman in an ornate dress posed perfectly with a Braixen decorated the cover of the magazine. Underneath the two written in large vibrant letters read ‘Kalos: The Homeland of Pokemon Showcases’. Yamaguchi blinked away his sleep as he looked upon the image of the woman and her Pokemon.

“We’ve landed?” Yamaguchi mumbled, his voice slightly horse from just waking up.

“Yep, we should be deboarding soon so get ready,” Tsukishima confirmed, not looking away from the article he was reading.

A quiet moment passed between the two as Tsukishima’s words sunk in. “Tsukki! I said to wake me up before we land! I wanted to see if I could catch a glimpse of Prism Tower!” Yamaguchi winned with a pout. 

“You’ll have plenty of time to see Prism Tower once we get to Lumiose City,” Tsukishima replied with a small shrug, his eyes still fixed on the magazine.

“But not from the sky,” Yamaguchi sighed as his pout only grew.

Tsukishima side eyed him before turning back to his article.

Counting Tsukki as a lost cause, Yamaguchi released a small sigh before turning to the window. He leaned in close to get the best look he could. This was his first time journeying in another region and he could not help but be filled with excitement. He was now 16 years old and had finally been allowed to leave Alola. Though he had been a bundle of nerves at the airport, Yamaguchi now felt like he could barely contain his excitement as he got his first glimpse of Kalos.

As Yamaguchi looked out the small plane window all he could see was the airport and in the distance a large mountain range. Yamaguchi had never seen a mountain range so vast before. His heart fluttered as he took the sight in. “It’s amazing, Tsukki!” Yamaguchi found himself gasping in awe.

“It’s just an airport…” Tsukishima replied flatly.

“But it’s a Kalos airport,” Yamaguchi shot back, his tone full of giddy excitement though he did well to contain it.

Just then the plane came to a soft stop. Yamaguchi looked from the window to the cabin of the plane as the intercom sounded off. “The plane will be deboarding now. Please make sure not to forget any of your Pokemon or personal belongings,” the voice of a kind stewardess instructed. Yamaguchi immediately gave a small contained wiggle of joy as he fought to control his excitement. 

With a shove here and a push there, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi found themselves off the plane in no time. The air was cool. Much cooler than the tropical Alola and the sky was a clear and beautiful light blue. Yamaguchi could not help but smile as he watched a few wispy clouds pass overhead.

“Wow!” Yamaguchi whispered as a small flock of fletchlings flew over head. Yamaguchi’s eyes followed them before they disappear behind a building.

“I’m going to leave you behind if you don’t hurry up,” Tsukishima called as he passed by Yamaguchi, heading into the airport building.

“Tsukki! Wait for me!” Yamaguchi called as he followed after his best friend. 

Not having any checked luggage, the two trainers were able to exit the custom line relatively fast. Yamaguchi’s stomach filled with a mixture of excitement and nerves that sent bouts of flutters through his chest. Part of him could hardly wait to see what Kalos had to offer but another part of him, a much darker part, feared failure that might lay ahead. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi had never had much luck when it came to traveling with their Pokemon. The few adventures they had gone on prior had always been short lived and laced with disappointment. But this time Yamaguchi was determined to come out a winner.

“Professor Sycamore should be meeting us somewhere around here…” Tsukishima hummed as they exited into the meet and greet area of the airport. Both Yamaguchi and Tsukishima looked around but found no such person that looked to be a professor. A few people standing around the boys glanced their way in mild concern but that was about it.

“Maybe he forgot?” Yamaguchi reluctantly suggested. The idea caused an odd weight to settle in the pit of his stomach. He had hoped that their new journey would have started out smoothly. This doesn't bode well but Yamaguchi did his best to fight his pessimism. 

“You two must me Tsukishima and Yamaguchi?” came the voice of a women from behind the two.

Yamaguchi gave off a small squawk as he turned around sharply. With his heart pounding he looked around and was met by the smiling face of a young woman. She had tan skin and shoulder length purple hair. She had a confident cocky smile on her face as she examined the two boys.

“And you are…?” Tsukishima questioned with a frown.

“The name is Sina. I’m one of Professor Sycamore’s assistants. I was sent here to pick you two up,” Sina explained with an inviting smile. Yamaguchi’s heart rate immediately returned to normal upon hearing this.

“He should have told us if someone else was coming,” Tsukishima stubbornly commented.

“Tsukki!” Yamaguchi sharply whispered. He wasn’t too surprised by his friends rude behaviour but he sometimes wish Tsukishima sensored himself more.

“Well, sorry about that,” Sina sheepishly replied. “Things came up.”

“It’s fine,” Yamaguchi shook his head as he spoke. “We are all here now and that’s what matters.”

“Well, if you two are ready to go then let's hit the road,” Sina cheered with a smile.

Yamaguchi looked to Tsukishima with a small grin. “Right,” Tsukishima nodded, seeming to be over his slight frustration at the inconvenience of being picked up by someone that wasn’t Professor Sycamore.

With that the two boys followed after Sina.

The drive from the airport to Lumiose City took a lot less time than Yamaguchi had expected. With bated breath, Yamaguchi looked out the passenger side back window as he took in all the new sights. He saw large green trees different form the ones on Poni Island. Small delicate flowers decorated the ground beneath the large trees. Every now and then Yamaguchi would catch a glimpse of a moving bush or tree branch but was yet to see any new Pokemon.

As they drove on the scenery when from forest to large magnificent brick houses adorned with vines. Before Yamaguchi knew it they were out of the forest and into Lumiose City. His eye filled with stars as they passed a person with a furfrou who’s fur was dyed pink. Next he saw a lady on a balcony hanging laundry as a tiny flabébé danced merrily around her head. On every corner sat small cafes with people enjoying drinks beside their Pokemon. The seen was so quaint and inviting. Yamaguchi could not help but release a gasp of “wow” as he caught sight of Prism Tower between the rows of buildings. 

“This city is so big,” Yamaguchi chirped as he turned to look at Tsukki.

Tsukishima had also been looking out the window but didn’t seem nearly as impressed. “Yeah it’s a pretty impressive city,” he admitted with a small shrug. Yamaguchi’s smile only grew for he could see the smallest of a twinkle in Tsukki’s eyes. He knew his best friend was also excited to be starting their next journey.

It wasn’t long before they parked outside a large building. “We’re here!” Sina sang as she turned the car off.

Yamaguchi felt bubbly excitement weld up in his stomach once more as he and Tsukishima exited the car. Sina led them through the parking garage and into the lab. Another wave of awe over took Yamaguchi at the sight of the prestigious lab. The rooms they passed were filled with machines, researchers and Pokemon. Assistants rushed this way and that as the three traveled through the halls. Yamaguchi even caught sight of what looked like a large terrarium filled with all sorts of Pokemon. He had never seen such a lavish building in his life. As Sina guided them into a room he took notice of many large computers decorated the walls.

“You two can take a seat on the couches here and Professor Sycamore will be with you shortly,” Sina instructed before leaving the two trainers.

“This building is amazing, isn’t it, Tuskki?” Yamaguchi hummed as he and Tsukki took a seat on a rather plush blue couch.

“It’s pretty cool I guess,” the ever cool Tsukishima replied.

“Did you get a glimpse of Prism Tower as we passed by?” Yamaguchi asked in a barely controlled giddy tone.

“I saw it,” Tsukishima cooly replied.

Tsukishima’s unenthusiasm didn’t deter Yamaguchi. After knowing Tsukishima for 6 years he was used to it by now. He knew Tsukki had his own way of showing excitement.

Before long a handsome man with black swooping wavy hair and shining gray eyes entered the room. “Ah, you two must be the new trainers from Alola! Welcome to Kalos,” the man greeted with a large inviting grin. “I’m Professor Sycamore.”

“Tsukishima Kei,” Tsukishima greeted with a nod as both he and Yamaguchi stood to greet the Professor.

“I’m Yamaguchi Tadashi,” Yamaguchi introduce with a polite bow. 

“And two fine young trainers you are! It’s nice to meet you both!” Professor Sycamore chortled joyously, his handsome smiled causing Yamaguchi to blush ever so slightly. “Please, take a seat and relax,” Professor Sycamore instructed as he sat down himself. 

Tsukishima and Yamaguchi both took their seats once more. They looked to the Professor both ready to get registered so they could start their journey in Kalos. Yamaguchi could not help but sit rigid with pent up anticipation. He side glanced Tsukki only to find his friend sitting quite comfortably and calmly next to him.

“Now, from what Professor Kukui has sent to me you two have come with two Pokemon each, correct?” Professor Sycamore hummed as he examined what Yamaguchi assumed to be an email on his tablet. 

Bother Yamaguchi and Tsukishima replied with silent nods. 

“And it also says that you two want to apply for the league it seems, is this correct?” Professor Sycamore asked with a large smile. 

Yamaguchi looked over to see Tsukishima give another silent nod. “Y-yes, me too,” Yamaguchi hesitantly replied. The prospect of joining the league terrified him but he didn’t know what else to do so he had said he wanted to join it when leaving Alola. He felt it was the only way his mother would agree to him leaving. A mild panic overtook Yamaguchi, and though he did everything he could to hide it, he could feel Tsukishima’s concern stare from beside him.

“Good choice!” Professor Sycamore boomed, shaking Yamaguchi from his mild panic attack. “Kalos has one of the best leagues around and the best scenery any league has to offer.”

“W-we’ve heard and are very excited,” Yamaguchi nervously cherped, feeling pressured to contribute to the conversation. “It’s my first time going on a Pokemon journey outside Alola.”

“This is the sort of thing that fills me with excitement,” Professor Sycamore cheered with joy. “Two fresh trainers on a new journey someplace they have never been to. This is what being a Pokemon trainer is really all about!”

Yamaguchi could not help but smile. The handsome Professor’s kind words eased up his nerves. He glanced to his side to see a small spark in Tsukki’s eyes. Yamaguchi’s smile grew into a large grin at this. Seeing his normally stoic friend show so much interest also go himself ready to go once more.

“Well then, let’s get you two registered so you can be on your way,” Professor Sycamore said as he stood up. “Follow me this way and we can get started.”

Tsukishima and Yamaguchi followed the Professor to a large machine on the other side of the room. He had both trainers pick from an array of different colored Pokedexs. While Tsukishima chose a cool dark blue dex Yamaguchi went for the light green colored one. Professor Sycamore than placed each dex into a computer and had the boys input their personal information. Yamaguchi was filled with so much jitters he spelt his own name wrong twice before getting it right. Before long both boys had their dexes up and ready.

“With this you two are now registered in the Kalos League,” Professor Sycamore said with a smile. “Kalos also has other sorts of Pokemon competitions you’re more than welcome to join and can do so at any Pokemon Center at any time,” he added.

Yamaguchi looked to the professor in mild interest. He had only been aware of the lauge and hadn’t been told of anything else. He couldn’t help but wonder what other sorts of things they could join in on in Kalos. Before the thought could develop anymore, Yamaguchi found a slim shiny black case being shoved into his free hand.

“This is your badge case to keep all the badges you earn,” Professor Sycamore explained as Tsukishima and Yamaguchi examined their cases. “You need to earn 8 gym badges to qualify for next year's summer league finals.”

The idea of earning 8 badges in a year felt daunting to Yamaguchi. It had taken him almost half a year to finish one Island Trial back in Alola. As he opened his case to find 8 empty spots an odd anxious weight began to settle in his stomach. It was moment like this, where his nerve would get the best of him, makes him feel as if he bit off more than he could chew.

“I’m sure you two are very excited to start your journey but before you go do either of you have any questions?” Professor Sycamore asked with a large smile. He looked to the two trainers as Tsukishima examined his new Pokedex with little amusement and Yamaguchi fidgeted uncomfortably.

“I think we are fine,” Tsukishima flatly replied after an awkward silence.

“Right! Well, if you two ever have any questions my contact is programed into your dex there so feel free to reach out,” Professor Sycamore said, his smile a little less enthusiastic only causing the awkwardness to grow between the three. 

“Thank you for signing us up,” Yamaguchi said with the best smile he could muster despite his rising nerves.

“Not a problem,” Professor Sycamore reassured with a soft pat on Yamaguchi’s shoulder. “Just go out there and do your best. And always remember that regardless of what happened there is always so much about life we learn on these journeys,” as the professor spoke his tone became more soft and thoughtful. 

Yamaguchi could not help but feel a bit of his nerves lessen once more. Even if he didn’t conquer the world this next year he promised both himself and his Pokemon that he was definitely going to come out of this with something to show. At the moment he wasn’t quite sure what that something was be he’d find it.

“Are you ready to go, Yamaguchi?” Tsukishima asked, breaking Yamaguchi from his inner thoughts.

With a node from Yamaguchi the two trainers thanked Professor Sycamore once more before heading out into the city. Neither really knew where to go first or what to do. They had only just arrived in Kalos hours ago. As the two awkwardly stood in the busy bustling streets outside the Pokemon Lab, both trainers stomachs growled loudly.

“Perhaps we should grab a bite to eat and decide on what we want to do first?” Yamaguchi suggested as his stomach sounded off once more.

Tsukishima gave a small shrug showing his approval of the idea. Yamaguchi smiled brightly as he followed close behind Tsukishima as the taller trainer lead them down a random street. With that, the two new trainers headed into Lumiose City to start their new Pokemon journey in Kalos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go! This is the real start of their journey! I hope you enjoyed chapter 2! It was quite fun to write. I hope you all are as pumped as these two for the upcoming journey. I wonder where Kalos’s roads are going to lead them? What pokemon will they see? Who will they meet? What sort of challenges will they face? Only time will tell but to find out stay tuned!
> 
> As always chapter 3 should be up next week. Possibly expect to see it a day or so early, possibly Thursday. I will be out over the weekend and won’t be able to post so I will try to get it up early. Chapter 3 is going to be a great one so don’t miss it :D
> 
> Thank you all so much for the views, kudos, follows, bookmarks and reviews. I was honestly so happy and surprised to see the number of both Haikyuu and Pokemon fans out there! It brings a tear to my eye. I hope you all are able to hand around till the end. I promise I will do my best to make it a fun read. 
> 
> If you have the time please do leave a comment/review. I would love to know what you all think of the fic so far. As always I’d also love to know what sort of pokemon you think each character should have. Choosing the pokemon teams for everyone was probably the hardest part of making the outline for this fic. I spent hours changing them and moving pokemon around so let me know what you think Yama or Tsukki’s (or whoever’s) dream team could be.
> 
> Thank you all for dropping by! See you next chapter.
> 
> Character Overview - I will add this at the end of each chapter so you can review what is on everyone’s team. This will go with any major character showing up in the chapter and only include characters in the chapter. 
> 
> Yamaguchi Tadashi  
> Age: 16  
> Hometown: Poni Island, Alola  
> Team:Popplio and ?????  
> Travel Companion: Tsukki
> 
> Tsukishima Kei  
> Age: 16  
> Hometown: Born in Unova moved to Poni Island, Alola  
> Team: Snivy and ?????  
> Travel Companion: Yama


	3. Lumiose City: Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right! Chapter 3 is up and ready! A day early like I promised. I just hate missing weeks of posting chapters! Anyways, are you guys ready to really start our Pokemon journey! What will our boys find in the large and beautiful Lumiose city!?!?!
> 
> I’d like to think my beta reader heichousheadphones (https://heichousheadphones.tumblr.com/) for taking time from their busy day to help me with my horrible grammar and for also helping me go through the thinking process while writing this little fic.
> 
> Now let’s go!!!!

It hadn’t taken the two trainers long before they found a quaint cafe that overlooked an ornate fountain. Both trainers had ordered the lunch set special which they were both waiting for in anticipation. It was only after sitting down and resting did they really start to feel their hunger. To distract themselves from the hunger Tsukishima had pulled up a map of the region on his tablet and Yamaguchi made himself busy feeding their Pokemon.

“Here, Snivy! I made it just the way you liked it,” Yamaguchi hummed as he handed the snake like Pokemon a bowl of his homemade Pokemon chow. He smiled grew as the picky Snivy hungrily dug into the bowl of food.

“Arfff!” Popplio barked in anticipation, catching Yamaguchi’s attention.

“I haven’t forgotten about you either,” Yamaguchi laughed as he placed Popplio’s bowl beside her. With a happy bark, Popplio dug head first into the chow making all sorts of slurping and chimping sounds. Yamaguchi released a small chuckle as he watched his beloved Popplio eat.

Just than a large black fire lizard placed her head upon Yamaguchi’s shoulder. As a child this would have shaken Yamaguchi to have such a large powerful Pokemon so close but he had become very accustomed to Tsukishima’s Salazzle’s way of showing affection. Salazzle’s long pink tongue shot out and tickled the inside of Yamaguchi’s ear as she released a low hiss.

A shiver ran down Yamaguchi’s spine. “Stop that, you,” Yamaguchi giggled as he failed to shake the persistent lizard off his back. “If you hang on me like this I won’t be able to feed you,” he carried on still falling to shake Salazzle off.

“Leave him alone, Salazzle,” Tsukishima half heartedly commanded. The large lizard completely ignored him as she carried on invading Yamaguchi’s space.

Yamaguchi didn’t mind the attention from the large lizard but knew if he took too long her touch could turn hot with anticipation for her lunch. Yamaguchi juggled the can of Pokemon food he had made special for the lizard as he clumsily poured it into a bowl. Salazzle’s long tongue licked at his cheek as she eyed the food with hunger.

“It will be ready in a moment,” Yamaguchi laughed as the tongue licked at his cheek once more. He pulled out a small jar filled with Tomato Berry jam he had made just before bed last night. With clumsy hands he twisted the lid and poured a good helping of the spicy jam atop the food. “There, all done,” he said as he passed the bowl of food over his shoulder into the waiting claws of Salazzle.

With much haste, Salazzle snatched up the bowl and plopped down on the floor next to Tsukishima. She feverishly started on the bowl of food causing Snivy to send her a very disapproving glance. 

“They really do love your food, don’t they?” Tsukishima commented as he looked up from his tablet to watch his two Pokemon go to town.

With a shy laugh Yamaguchi took his seat at the table. “Well, I do my best to make good food but it’s nothing special,” Yamaguchi shrugged.

“I usually have trouble getting either of them to eat when you’re not around so you must be doing something right,” Tsukishima commented. Though his tone was flat, Yamaguchi could make out the smallest hint of a smile on Tsukishima’s lips. “It’s a good thing were going on this journey together,” Tsukishima’s facial features changed as he spoke. His gaze focused in on Yamaguchi as a sense of comfort fell over the two.

Yamaguchi could not help but blush. Receiving any form of compliment from his best friend always set his heart aflutter. “Oh, it’s probably just your imagination,” Yamaguchi mumbled as he looked to Popplio who was just finishing up her meal. He knew if he carried on looking at Tsukki his cheeks would only go from pink to red.

Yamaguchi could feel Tsukishima's eyes on him as he said nothing. Yamaguchi both loved and hated it when Tsukishima examined him like this. It always made him feel self conscious and on edge but also set his heart aflutter and cheeks ablaze. He loved having Tsukishima’s undivided attention. Yamaguchi wouldn’t say he was in love with his best friend but he definitely felt something more than just friendship towards the trainer. What that something was, Yamaguchi had yet to figure out. He was almost certain that he was the only one out of the two that felt this way.

Before anymore could be said about the topic the waitress came with their lunch orders. As she placed their platters on the table Yamaguchi looked up to see Tsukishima’s stone cold expression had returned. The moment had passed and Yamaguchi’s heart was returning to normal. He had promised himself he would not let these feelings get the best of him on this journey lest it scared Tsukishima away.

“So, where are we headed to first?” Yamaguchi asked as he and Tsukishima started on their meals.

“Since it’s already late in the day we should probably just stay the night here and plan out our route for the next few days,” Tsukishima hummed thoughtfully as he examined his map. “We can also pick up any supplies we might need and head out tomorrow morning.”

“Oh! Than we can see Prism Tower at night? I heard it is beautiful,” Yamaguchi agreed with much enthusiasm. “I also read about a really nice bakery around there too. I’d like to drop by and try some of their macaroons,” he rambled on light heartedly as he popped fries into his mouth.

Tsukishima gave a shrug of approval that was met by a large smile from Yamaguchi. The two carried on with idle chat about what to pick up and where to stay for the night as they carried on with their meal. The calm beautiful atmosphere of Kalos helped Yamaguchi relax much faster than he had expected. The late afternoon sun filled the spring air with a warmth that could defuse any amount of stress one might be feeling. With their Pokemon snoozing by the table, both trainers took in the moment to peaceful silence.

Tsukishima began to doze off in his seat as the bright sun reflected beautifully off his face. Though he always felt guilty when he did this, Yamaguchi could not help but appreciate the perfection of his best friend’s features. Tsukishima had always been a breathtaking person. Even when they first met Tsukishima had always taken Yamaguchi’s breath away. Kalos was the region of beauty and Yamaguchi could not help but get swept away in the romance that filled the city’s air.

“WOW! WHAT IS THAT!?” Came a loud voice from behind Yamaguchi. 

Yamaguchi jumped a mile high as he released a loud startled squawk. Tsukishima whipped up in his seat as he looked around. All three of their Pokemon were standing at the ready looking around for who had disturbed their piece. As quick as a flash an orange blur passed by Yamaguchi and stopped just beside Salazzle.

“Wow! This Pokemon is amazing! I’ve never seen anything like it!” gasped a boy with orange hair who was getting all up in Salazzle’s business. 

Salazzle backed away from the human with a warning hiss. Normally she was the one invading people's space but it seemed like she wasn’t too into it when it was being done to her. Yamaguchi found himself wanting to warn the boy to back off before she retaliated but was still too startled to really find his voice.

“It’s scales are so dark and sleek and cool! It looks so strong,” the boy rambled on in rapid succession.

“Hey, kid, haven’t you heard of personal space?” Tsukishima warned as he stood up. “Back off my Pokemon before I make you back off,” Tsukishima spat non too kind. Salazzle hissed at the intruder one last time before sneaking behind Tsukishima. 

“Hey! I’m not a kid,” The orange haired boy snapped as he shot up from where he squatted beside Salazzle.

“Really? Could have fooled me,” Tsukishima mocked cooly as he looked down on the intruder. 

Yamaguchi couldn’t help but stifle a laugh as the boy squaked an angry “What!?”

“I’ll have you know that I’m Hinata Shoyo and I am going to be the next league champion in Kalos so you better watch out you overgrown Pokebean stalk,” the boy, Hinata, snapped like an angry Lillipup. This caused Tsukishima to chuckle condescendingly and Yamaguchi to stifle another laugh.

“I hope you're talking about the Pee-Wee League,” Tsukishima carried on in a mocking tone. “The Jr League would never allow such a shorty like you to join.” 

“I am not part of the Pee-Wee League!” Hinata snapped with much gusto, taking a step forward to get as into Tsukishima’s space as he could. 

This caused Tsukishima’s smirk to falter as the stranger entered his sacred bubble. Yamaguchi picked up on his friend’s discomfort. He hoped a fight didn't break out between the two.

“You think you’re so tough! Then why not a battle here and now!” Hinata challenged as he stent Tsukishima the stink eye.

Tsukishima hesitated for only a moment. Yamaguchi knew both his Pokemon were in no condition for a battle today. They had only just arrived this afternoon and they were all still exhausted from all the travel. Yamaguchi wanted to step in to break it up but his weak side feared Hinata would turn his rage on him instead. 

“What? Are you scared?” Hinata grumbled with a competitive smirk.

“Of you? No way,” Tsukishima scoffed with a flip of his head.

“Then we are on?” Hinata pushed on as he began to shake with excitement. 

Yamaguchi looked to Tsukki to see his friend looking down at Hinata with the slightest hint of competitiveness in his eyes. Yamaguchi wasn’t so sure this was the best way to be starting out their journey. Making enemies was something he would rather avoid for the time being. He wracked his brain as he tried to think of a way to defuse the situation even slightly.

“You can’t battle!” Yamaguchi spoke up louder than he meant to.

Hinata whipped around to look at Yamaguchi. He looked almost shocked by Yamaguchi’s presence, like he hadn't realized there was a second person. Yamaguchi fidgeted uncomfortably as he tried to think of an excuse. He looked down to find Popplio looking up at him with concern.

“Y-you can’t battle here…” Yamaguchi started reluctantly. “Its against the law to battle in the streets like this… we need to leave the town or find a designated battlefield,” He carried on as he did his best to remember the rules and regulations of the league. 

Hinata’s mild shock turned to disbelief, deflating upon hearing this. Tsukishima sent Yamaguchi a look that was hard to read. His friend often didn’t care for when Yamaguchi butted into his fights. Yamaguchi could not help but look to the two with a sorry expression. Perhaps he shouldn’t have said anything.

“Well, it doesn’t matter because I would have been able to beat you anyways,” Hinata said as he shook his disappointment. “You may look tough but you’re probably just all talk.”

“Tsukki is the best battler I know!” Yamaguchi cut in before he nor Tsukishima could stop him. “He’s collected the most Z Crystals out of anyone I know and his Salazzle is the biggest Salazzle ever seen back in Alola,” Yamaguchi carried on proudly.

“Yamaguchi, shut up,” Tsukishima grumbled with a slight pink tint to his cheeks.

“Oh, sorry Tsukki,” Yamaguchi replied a bit too chipper.

Hinata looked to Yamaguchi with a bit of curiosity. His intensity from before seemed to have been completely defused. “So you two are from Alola?” He asked as he focused a large majority of his attention on Yamaguchi.

“Yes, we both arrived in Kalos this afternoon,” Yamaguchi confirmed with a shy but friendly smile. It was far too early into their journey for any more squabbling. “It’s our first time in Kalos.”

“Really? It’s our first time in Kalos, too,” Hinata said with an excited grin. “We just arrived last night from Kanto, my two friends and I.”

“You’re here with friends?” Yamaguchi questioned as he looked around the general area for two other people.

“Kind of…” Hinata mumbled as he gently kicked a pebble. “I kind of got separated from them,” he admitted with a small pout.

“That’s what happens when you run off like a kid,” Tsukishima scoffed, always at the ready to antagonize.

“What was that?” Hinata snapped.

“Just saying…” Tsukishima shrugged with sass.

“Don’t mind him,” Yamaguchi assured as he won back Hinata’s attention. “I’m Yamaguchi Tadashi, by the way, and that is Tsukishima Kei.”

“I’m Hinata, Hinata Shoyo,” Hinata said with much pride. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Yamaguchi!” he cheered as he held a hand out for Yamaguchi to take.

Yamaguchi only hesitated for a moment before taking the enthusiastic boys hand. “It’s nice to meet you too, Hinata,” Yamaguchi said with a genuine smile. Part of him cheered at making a new friend.

Hinata then turned to Tsukishima with a small frown. “I suppose it’s nice to meet you, too,” he said in a much less welcoming tone.

“The feeling isn’t mutual,” Tsukishima hummed as he snubbed Hinata. This only caused Hinata to release an angry gasp.

“Hinata! Are your friends still in the city?” Yamaguchi cut in before the situation eculated anymore.

“Oh, yeah I think so,” Hinata replied thoughtfully. “We were all going to go to the gym here and challenge it together. I got seperated from them while we were headed to the gym.”

“There’s a gym in Lumiose City?” Yamaguchi spat with dread. Popplio shifted uncomfortably next to him as she looked up at her trainer. Yamaguchi was nowhere near ready to take on a gym and to his horror, Tsukishima was showing mild interest. 

“What? You two didn’t know?” Hinata said as he shot Tsukishima a look.

“How were we to know? We just got here,” Tsukishima replied coolly.

“Well, I’m off to the gym if you two want to join me in taking it on,” Hinata proudly stated. “Unless you’re too scared,” He added as he glanced at Tsukishima.

Anyone with two eyes could see that Yamaguchi was indeed scared. Yamaguchi himself wasn’t even going to try to deny it. He wasn’t ready for a gym battle. He only had two pokemon, one of witch won’t listen to a damn thing he tell it. It’d surly end with his defeat and he was not ready for that yet.

“Just because we don’t take the gym on today doesn’t mean we are scared,” Tsukishima came back cooly. “Responsible trainers know when to push their Pokemon and let their Pokemon rest up,” he carried on as if he here talking to a child.

Yamaguchi could see in Tsukishima's eyes that he was interest in the gym. Part of Yamaguchi was so grateful that Tsukki was making an out for them but he dreaded to think that he was holding his best friend back. Yamaguchi fidgeted where he stood as these thoughts raced through his mind.

Hinata looked to the two trainers in disappointment. His large shining eyes landed on Yamaguchi and held there longer than they had for Tsukishima. It was almost as if Hinata was pleading for them to go along with him. Part of Yamaguchi had a feeling that Hinata just wanted company.

“Well, it wouldn’t hurt to just check it out, right, Tsukki?” Yamaguchi meekly spoke.

Hinata brightened immediately upon hearing this. “Yeah, and this way, whether you decide to battle or not, you’ll be able to get a good look at what to expect,” Hinata cheered.

Yamaguchi smiled softly as he gave a small nod of agreement. He looked to Tsukki to see if he too was game. The blond trainer had a small pout on his face as he watched Hinata wiggle with anticipation. His annoyance was rising with every hop Hinata made. Tsukishima’s eye than landed on Yamaguchi as if to ask if this was really want Yamaguchi wanted. Yamaguchi gave another soft reluctant nod.

“Fine,” Tsukishima sighed as he rolled his eyes dramatically.

“Great! Now I’m not alone anymore,” Hinata cheered, grabbing Yamaguchi’s hands to do a small dance. 

Yamaguchi released a small yelp of surprise as Hinata spun him around three times. All the while Popplio barked with glee at their feet. Their voiceterious antics caused several passerbyers to look their way. Tsukishima sent the smaller tainer an annoyed glare that went unnoticed by Hinata. Yamaguchi's head spun once Hinata released him causing him to fall back into his chair.

“So, where is the gym?” Yamaguchi mumbled as his vision slowly stopped spinning.

“Right... about that…” Hinata laughed sheepishly. His attention stayed on the nicer Yamaguchi, ignoring the increasingly irritated Tsukishima. “Like I said, I’m lost. I don’t remember.”

“You at least must know the name of where the gym is…” Tsukishima scoffed, his tone holding little patience. 

“I know the name of the area,” Hinata snapped as he turned to face Tsukishima. “I just can’t remember at the moment.”

“Somehow I’m not surprised,” Tsukishima replied with cocky smirk. This caused Hinata to fume all the more.

“Well, do you remember anything about the gym?” Yamaguchi softly cut in before the argument could grow any further.

“Yeah, I think Yachi said something about it being a part of a landmark…” Hinata hummed thoughtfully. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi both sent Hinata verified expectant looks. 

“This is the biggest City in Kalos, there is bound to be several landmarks,” Tsukishima pointed out none too kind.

“I know that,” Hinata sharply replied, glaring at the taller trainer. “But I just got here too so you can’t expect me to know everything.”

“The only landmark I’m aware of is Prism Tower,” Yamaguchi once again cut in. “I haven’t had a chance yet to read the brochure Professor Sycamore gave us so I could be wrong.”

“Prism Tower…” Hinata hummed as if the name was familiar to him.

With a heavy sigh, Tsukishima pulled out his tablet and mumbling about how useless some people are. Hinata sent him the stink eye but said nothing. Yamaguchi couldn’t help but release a small sigh of his own. Though he never had much problem getting along with Tsukki, it seemed almost impossible for most others to be considered acceptable by the taller trainer.

“According to the information here the Lumiose City Gym is located somewhere in Prism Tower,” Tsukishima read, looking up from his tablet and sending Hinata a very condescending smirk.

“Why didn’t you do that in the first place?” Hinata snapped.

“It’s not our problem that you don’t know where you are going,” Tsukishima replied with a shrug. “You should carry a map next time.”

“Wow, I didn’t realize the gym was part of Prism Tower,” Yamaguchi cut in for the third time. He had to admit that it was becoming exhausting. “I did want to see the tower before the end of the day.”

Hinata’s attention returned once more to Yamaguchi. “Great, then let’s go together!” he cheered with an award winning smile.

“Now is just as good a time as any, I guess,” Yamaguchi replied nervously, still on edge about visiting a gym so soon to their arriving. “You ready to go now, Tsukki?”

Tsukishima shot Hinata a sour look before turning his attention to Yamaguchi. His expression softened slightly as he shrugged in approval. Yamaguchi returned the shrug with a smile. The whole silent exchange left Hinata in the dark.

“Let’s get going then,” Yamaguchi cheered with a clap of his hands.

With that the three trainers and their Pokemon packed up and headed off towards Prism Tower. The location of the Lumiose City Gym.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, yes! A new challenger has appeared. I wonder what they will discover at Lumiose City Gym? Will the three trainers actually take it on. Will they receive their first badges so soon into their journey? Will Hinata be able to reconnect with his other two travel companions!??!?! On the suspense!!! Well, there is only one way to find out and that is to stay tuned!
> 
> Hey all. So I was able to get chapter 3 out early. I am unsure I am going to be able to do the same for Chapter 4. Ya see, I am going to be on vacation so I am unsure how much free time I will have next weekend to post chapter four. You may find it early next week, the end of this weekend, or if I really get too busy to get online I will just post two chapters the next week. Sorry for any delay.
> 
> Also I would like to thank you all so much for the Kudos, follows, bookmarks and reviews. I just love to hear my readers feedback so if you have the time do leave me a review. I would love to know what you all think about the fic so far. Let me know what Pokemon you think Haikyuu characters would have. Let me know what you favorite Pokemon is. 
> 
> Speaking of letting me know things. I mean to mention that if you ever want to chat about Haikyuu!! or Pokemon you can reach be on Tumblr. I go by so if you ever want to chat do hit me up. I’m always up for a fandom chat :)
> 
> That’s all for now, see you all next chapter!


	4. Lumiose City: Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Hey Hey! Happy Haikyuu Day, everyone! Looks like I was able to get this week’s chapter out on time after all! Just in time for Haikyuu Day! Amazing it worked out. I hope you are all ready for chapter 4! It was a fun one to write so I hope it’s fun to read!
> 
> (https://heichousheadphones.tumblr.com/) for taking time from their busy day to help me with my horrible grammar and for also helping me go through the thinking process while writing this little fic.
> 
> Without further ado, chapter 4!

Yamaguchi walked closely beside Tsukishima as his heart pounded heavily. He was pretty sure the two other trainers could hear the pounding of his heart but both chose to say nothing. To say Yamaguchi wasn’t nervous beyond belief would be a lie. He was indeed terrified. His palms were sweaty, his back rigged, his movements stiff, his vision tunneled and he was completely unaware of whatever it was Hinata was going on about. He was by no means ready to face the gym.

He knew he didn’t have to battle today if he didn’t want to but the mere idea of going to a gym set him on edge. Yamaguchi was horrible at battling. He had never been good at it. Not as a kid and definitely not now. Going to the gym would only remind him of this glaring flaw. Despite his fears his pride would not allow him to hold Tsukishima back from visiting the gym. Yamaguchi knew that if he had voiced his fears Tsukishima would have gone along with him and rejected Hinata’s invitation.

Yamaguchi hadn’t come to Kalos to carry on with his old cowardly ways. Back in Alola he would have procrastinated going up against Island trials and Kahunas until those around him simply forgot. It had worked then and to be honest he didn’t have much to show for it now. He could not help his poor battling skills. Anytime he faced off against other trainers he would freeze. His mind would go far too slow and before he knew it his pokemon would be fainted. 

But this journey was going to be different. This Kalos journey is going to be a fresh start for both Yamaguchi and his team. He owed it to them both and he wasn’t going to let them down. Even if he pissed his pants the whole way he wasn’t going to avoid the challenges that come his way.

“You know, Yamaguchi, we don’t have to go to the gym if you don’t want to…” Tsukishima softly spoke so that Hinata could not hear.

“I-It’s fine, Tsukki. I-I don’t mind,” Yamaguchi reassured as he cursed his shaking voice. 

It was clear that Tsukishima didn’t buy it. He shot Yamaguchi a concerned look before shrugging it off and dropping the subject. Though most people wouldn't see it, this was Tsukishima’s own way of showing his support. For that Yamaguchi was thankful.

“Hey, where do we turn next?” Hinata barked as he walked in front of the two.

“I think at that red cafe just up there,” Yamaguchi instructed as he referenced Tsukishima’s tablet. “Or maybe, it’s the blue clothing shop?” He second guessed as he turned the tablet upside down.

“Give me that,” Tsukishima sighed as he plucked the tablet from Yamaguchi’s grasp. He studied the map for a moment, his brow furrowed and a slight scowl upon his face. “We still have two blocks to go,” he finally spoke before handing the tablet back to Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi looked at the map once more comparing it to the street they just passed. “Oh, right, my bad,” Yamaguchi admitted sheepishly. He had never been the best with directions. Tsukishima replied with an eye roll but said nothing more. This wasn’t new to either of them.

“Aw man, I was hoping we were close! I can’t wait to see what kind of gym it is,” Hinata sighed as he glanced back at the two.

“I hope it’s not a dragon type gym,” Yamaguchi said with a shutter. He didn’t have anything against the dragon type he just wasn’t ready to face off against one.

“A dragon type gym would be so cool,” Hinata cheered with stars in his eyes. “Do you really think it’s a dragon type gym?”

“He said he hopes its not dragon type, you idiot,” Tsukishima sighed, his tone short. It was clear by his sour expression that Tsukishima wanted nothing more than for Hinata to shut up.

“I wasn’t walking to you,” Hinata replied with a sneer. 

“That doesn’t excuse you from ignoring what other people have already said,” Tsukishima retorted cooly though Yamaguchi could tell that he was increasingly becoming annoyed.

“I wasn’t ignoring him, you jerk,” Hinata growled, now practically walking backwards to face Tsukishima. 

“Wow, look at that! Prism Tower is coming into view,” Yamaguchi cut in just as Tsukishima opened his mouth to snap back.

“What!? Where?” Hinata gasped as he whipped around.

Tsukishima side eyed his best friend as he released a small ‘tch’. Though relieved the argument was over Yamaguchi still sent Tsukishima an apologetic glance. 

It didn’t take the three long to arrive at the tower. As they approached the large structure Hinata frantically looked around the general vicinity. Hinata’s frantic search went unnoticed by Yamaguchi for he was so taken by the large tower. He had never seen such a large structure in all his life. It reached high into the late afternoon sky, reflecting the hot sun magnificently. Part of him wanted to ride to the top to see the view but another part of him feared such a large struckert was bound to fall.

“Hey! There they are!” Hinata shouted with a waive. “Kageyama! Yachi! Over here!”

Yamaguchi looked from the tower to where Hinata was waving. To his surprise he saw a dark hair trainer with a sour face and a short cute girl coming their way. His eyes lingered on the girl taking in how undeniably adorable she was. As she approached she caught Yamaguchi staring at her and seemed to tense up. Upon seeing this Yamaguchi quickly looked away with a fierce blush on his cheeks for making such a fool of himself.

“I take it these are the friend you were seperated from,” Tsukishima drawled with much disinterest. 

“Hinata, there you are. We were worried about you,” the girl greeted her friend as she and the other trainer stopped just in front of Hinata.

“Sorry, Yachi,” Hinata apologized with an apologetic smile. “Those fancy pokeballs caught my attention and when I looked back you two were gone,” he lamely explained.

“Well, don’t do that next time, idiot,” the dark haired trainer practically shouted as he jumped forward to attack Hinata. “We waisted two hours looking for you!” He carried on, both he and Hinata pushing at each others faces. Yamaguchi could not help but duck ever so slightly behind Tsukki as he watched the two.

“Lay off, Kageyama!” Hinata snapped back without fear. “It was an accident!”

“Please stop fighting you two,” Yachi reluctantly spoke up. Her please were ignored.

Yamaguchi and Tsukishima watched the two go at it in shocked silence. Part of Yamaguchi was confused. He was under the impression that Hinata was friends with these two but they seemed to be more like enemies. From beside Yamaguchi, Tsukishima was becoming increasingly more annoyed.

“I should have known shrimpy would be in bad company,” Tsukishima spoke up in quite the snobby tone. 

“Tsukki,” Yamaguchi squeaked from beside his friends. The last thing he wanted was the two feuding trainer’s attention directed at them.

“What was that!?” Both Hinata and Kageyama barked in unison. Both their head shot like whips as they turned to glare at Tsukishima.

This seemed to be the reaction Tsukishima was after for he smiled smugly. Still holding each other's collars in clenched fists, both Hinata and Kageyama growled deeply. Yamaguchi wanted nothing more than for the tense atmosphere to subside.

“Oh! Who are you two?” Yachi loudly cut in before the argument could escalate even the slighted. She smiled kindly at both Yamaguchi and Tsukishima. Yamaguchi silently thanked her for cutting the argument off.

“I-I’m Yamaguchi Tadashi,” Yamaguchi introduced, his voice full of pent up anxiety. 

“Tsukishima Kei,” Tsukishima replied, his tone and expression much less dry towards Yachi.

“It’s nice to meet you two,” Yachi said with a sunshine like smile. “I’m Yachi Hitoka and this here is Kageyama Tobio,” she carried on, motioning to both herself and Kageyama respectively. “We are Hinata’s travel mates. Thank you so much for helping him find his way,” Yachi hummed sounding a lot like a mother who has been reunited with her lost child.

“I’m not his travelmate,” Kagayama snapped, causing Yachi to jump every so slightly. 

“Not true! You’ve been traveling with Yachi and me this whole time!” Hinata accused loudly.

“Have not! You two have been following me around!” Kagayama retorted sharply.

“No way! I was our idea to stay in Lumiose City one more day,” Hinata snapped.

“I had already decided that before you said anything about it,” Kageyama grumbled.

“Lier!” Hinata shreaked.

“Am not!” Kageyama growled.

And right before Yamaguchi’s eyes the two trainers had each other in sloppy headlocks once more. Both Yamaguchi and Tsukishima watched on in wonder for neither of them had never seen anything like what was happening at the moment.Yamaguchi felt waves of discomfort as the aggressive atmosphere around Hinata and Kageyama mixed with the rising annoyance radiating off Tsukishima.

“Coming here with shrimpy was a mistake,” Tsukishima mumbled from beside Yamaguchi. This time the two squabbling trainers didn’t seem to hear him.

“I-I’m so sorry,” Yachi apologized in a mild panic. “They normally don’t squabble this much.”

“Squabble? This is more like a fight between a Seviper and a Zangoos!” Tsukishima sneered.

“What was that, four eyes,” Hinata snapped. He and Kageyama had now resorted to pushing at each other’s faces. 

“Hey! Didn’t we come here to check out that gym,” Yamaguchi weakly cut in. He looked from Hinata and Kageyama to Tsukishima with a strained smile. Though he was currently terrified of facing the gym, he didn’t know if he could handle much more of the arguing.

“The gym!” Hinata sang out as he untagged himself from Kageyama. “I almost forgot about it.”

Tsukishima rolled his eyes but thankfully chose to say nothing.

“Right, that’s why we came here,” Yachi chimed in with hope. “I’m assuming you two came along with Hinata for the same reason?”

“Let’s just get this over with,” Tsukishima grumbled in confirmation.

“I’m challenging the gym leader first,” Hinata shouted without missing a beat before racing towards the tower.

“Hey, wait! I got here before you! I get to go first,” Kageyama snapped as he chased after Hinata.

“Are they always like that?” Yamaguchi reluctantly asked as the two ran off.

“Yes,” Yachi replied with a nervous smile. “Though they seem extra hyped today. Probably the gym battle.”

“Are you going to battle the gym too, Yachi?” Yamaguchi asked as he, Yachi and Tsukishima followed after Hinata and Kageyama.

“What? Me!?” Yachi stuttered as she almost tripped over her own two feet. “No way! I’m in no way part of the lauge.”

The reply caught Yamaguchi quite of guard. Though it also peaked his interest. “So are you here just to travel?” He asked.

“Well…” Yachi began ever so shyly. “To be honest I really want to try my hand at the Pokemon Showcase.”

“Pokemon Showcase?” Yamaguchi asked in much interest. He had heard the term before but hadn’t a clue what they really were. Tsukishima seemed to be mildly interested as well for he glanced Yachi’s way quite a few times.

“Yes. You see, I’m no good at battling and in a Pokemon Showcase there isn't any battling but you still get to compete and grow with your Pokemon,” Yachi carried on, her tone becoming more excited by the second.

“No battling?” Yamaguchi echoed, becoming more interested in the showcase.

“And last year's winner, Kyoko, she is just amazing,” Yachi carried on with a small swoon. “When I saw her perform on stage last year it inspired me.”

“Wow, you really seem excited,” Yamaguchi hummed, noticing how pumped Yachi became just talking about it.

“Yeah, but I have such a long way to go,” Yachi began, slightly disheartened. “This is my first time leaving on a journey like this and I don’t even know if I will be able to qualify in time.”

“Yeah, I hear ya,” Yamaguchi mumbled as he thought of the empty badge case in his backpack.

“Hey! What the heck!” Hinata snapped from up ahead. His loud voice caught the attention of Yamaguchi and the others as they came up behind him.

“What’s wrong?” Yamaguchi asked as he looked over Hinata’s shoulder. It didn’t take long for Yamaguchi to realize the problem for on the door of the gym was a large sign that read ‘CLOSED’.

“How can they be closed!” Hinata squacked as he ruffled his orange messy hair.

“Closed, will be back in a week. Sorry for the inconvenience,” Yamaguchi read aloud.

“No! They have to be open! We came all this way,” Hinata carried on wining.

“Well, they probably had something to do,” Tsukishima replied flatly. “They are human, just like the rest of us.”

“We will have to come back later,” Kageyama added, though he seemed to be just as disappointed as Hinata.

“But I was so ready for a battle,” Hinata sobbed as he hung his head low. 

“Well tough pokeblocks,” Tsukishima stuffily replied. “You can’t get everything you want.”

“Shut up, Tsukishima!” Hinata snapped. He glared at Tsukishima only for it to turn into a smile. 

This seemed to freak Tsukishima out for he backed away from Hinata ever so slightly. Yamaguchi couldn’t help but look to his friend in worry. Part of him feared what it was that caused the sudden change in Hinata.

“I have an idea!” Hinata perked up.

“I don’t want to hear it,” Tsukishima immediately replied.

“What do you say, Tsukishima, you and me have a one on one battle?” Hinata challenged with a determined smirk.

“Me battle you,” Tsukishima scoffed.

“What, you scared,” Hinata accused.

“Scared of what? You?” Tsukishima drawled. “You have got to be joking.”

“Sound like something a scardy skitty would say,” Hinata provoked.

Everyone turned to look at Tsukishima. The blond trainers eye twitched as he scowled deeply. He didn't take too kindly to being on the receiving end of teasing. “No crying when you lose,” Tsukishima dryly sneered. 

“Likewise,” Hinata retorted with a determined smile.

Yamaguchi got a ting of excitement. Though he himself was a horrible battler, it was different when it came to Tsukishima. He loved seeing Tsukishima battle. His best friend was always at his best when on the battlefield.

It didn’t take the group long to find a battlefield. After looking on the map on Tsukishima’s tablet they found one in the park just left of the tower. With Kageyama playing as the judge, Yachi and Yamaguchi took seats on a nearby bench. Yamaguchi chose to call out Popplio so that she could observe the battle in hopes she learns something.

“Now watch both Tsukki and our new friend Hinata close, okay,” Yamaguchi instructed as he placed Popplio in his lap. The small blue seal barked in confirmation as she looked to Tsukishima and Hinata who were readying themselves to battle.

“Wow, so this Popplio yours? I’ve never seen one before in real life!” Yachi gasped as she admired Popplio. Popplio blushed before blowing a few playful bubbles from her nose.

“Yeah, I got her back in Alola when I was just a kid,” Yamaguchi explained as he gently scratched between Popplio’s ears. “She and I have been partners for years now.”

Popplio happily barked twice as if to agree with Yamaguchi statement. 

“Wow, well you two seem like really good friends,” Yachi giggled as she too scratched Popplio behind the ear.

The two’s conversation was cut off there as both Tsukishima and Hinata took their placed on either end of the fields. Hinata jumped up and down in excited anticipation as Tsukishima slouched disinterested across the field. Kageyama stood stiff and serious on the sideline as he motion for the two to get into position. Popplio, Yamaguchi and Yachi quieted down as they became engrossed in the drama unfolding in front of them.

“This will be a one on one battle between Tsukishima and Hinata,” Kageyama begane, his tone formal. “Each trainer will use one pokemon with no substitution. The first Pokemon that is unable to battle is the loser. Are both trainers ready?”

“Yeah! Yeah!” Hinata cheered with a few more determined hops.

With an extremely exaggerated eye roll, Tsukishima nodded his confirmation.

“Go!” Kageyama anncounded.

“Pikachu! I choose you!” Hinata cheered as he called fourt a Pikachu with a scalloped tipped tail.

“Pika~!” Pikachu called as she jumped fourth from the ball.

“Snivy, help me teach this shrimp a lesson,” Tsukishima drawled as he called fourth his pokemon.

The snake like Snivy appeared from the ball. Her keen eyes examined Hinata and Pikachu for a long moment before snubbing them both.

“I see both you and your pokemon are quite salty,” Hinata pointed out as his pikachu growled. “Pikachu use quick attack!”

Like a flash Pikachu serpentined across the field towards Snivy. Snivy didn’t seemed too bothered by the fast moving mouse.

“Nine o clock, Snivy,” Tsukishima calmly instructed. Sniver released a small grunt as she use her vine whip to jump high off the ground, dodging Pikachu’s attack. “Vine Whip,” Tsukishima commanded cooly. Ever quick, Snivy slapped pikachu back with her long vines.

“Hey! Not fair!” Hinata shouted from the other side of the field as pikachu tumbled back.

“That looked like a direct hit!” Yamaguchi commented with a smile.

“Poor Pikachu,” Yachi sighed in worried.

“Thundershock, Pikachu!” Hinata commanded loudly as Pikachu shook itself off. As quick as lightning, Pikachu charged up and sent a bolt Snivy’s way.

“Dodge one more time, Snivy,” Tsukishima cooly instructed. The ever cool snivy used her vines to dodge the attack effortlessly once more. “Vine whip once more.” Snivy’s long vines made another direct hit sending pikachu flying.

“Pikachu!” Hinata called in worry. Pikachu struggled to stand. “Hey, go a little easy on her, I only just caught her this morning so she is new to this!” Hinata snapped as he glared at Tsukishima. 

“Why? It’s not my fault if you made a poor choice in pokemon,” Tsukishima taunted as Snivy hissed in agreement. “Snivy, let’s end this! Leaf Tornado!”

Yamaguchi could not help but blush at Tsukishima’s confidence. His eyes full of stars he watched as Tsukki effortlessly instructed his Pokemon. It always amazed him at how cool and collected his best friend was when out on the battlefield.

Jumping high in the air, Snivy unleashed a large tornado of leave directly at Pikachu.

“Pikachu! Get up! I know you can!” Hinata encouraged as his pikachu failed to stand up. 

The tornado of leave landed directly, capturing Pikachu and sending her high into the air. “Pikaaa!” Pikachu shrieked as she became jostled about by the attack. With a loud thud, Pikachu landed heavy on the field.

“Pikachu!” Hinata called out in worry. Pikachu did not respond to his call.

Three beast passed as all waited for Pikachu to get up.

“Pikachu is unable to battle! Snivy is the winner!” Kageyama called, holding up his hand on the side of the field that held Tsukishima and Snivy.

“Yeah! Tsukki, you did it!” Yamaguchi cheered from the bench. Popplio barked in joy as she blew several bubbles of victory from her nose.

“Wow, that was so intense,” Yachi gasped as she looked to Hinata and Pikachu in worry.

“Great work, Snivy,” Tsukishima calmly praised. Snivy nodded knownling with a smiled. “Now take a good rest,” Tsukishima instructed before calling her back into her ball.

“You big bully! How could you beat up Pikachu like that!” Hinata whined as he cradled his fainted pikachu in his arms.

“You’re the one who asked for a battle, dumbass,” Kageyama called from the sideline. Hinata shot Kageyama a glare from where he stood.

“Next time you should plan better,” Tsukishima cooly mocked. 

“I won’t lose to you next time, Tsukishima!” Hinata snapped.

“Whatever you say,” Tsukishima smuggly shrugged.

“That was the best battle ever, Tsukki!” Yamaguchi praised as he came up on Tsukishima’s side, Popplio barking in agreement from his arms. “You and Snivy were both so strong. I hadn't even the slightest worry weather you would win or not, Tsukki. You are always so-”

“Shut up, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima sighed.

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi smiled sheepishly. 

“Nice try, Hinata,” Yachi said from beside the orange haired trainer.

“Thanks, Yachi,” Hinata reluctantly smiled.

“But not good enough,” Kageyama added from the other side of Hinata.

“What was that?” Hinata barked.

“We should probably get Pikachu to the Pokemon Center,” Yachi cut in before anymore could be said. “Are you two headed that way as well?”

Yamaguchi looked to Tsukki for confirmation. Tsukishima gave a small shrug signifying he didn’t care what they do. “Yeah, sure. We haven’t been to one since arriving so we should probably go. Right, Popplio?” Yamaguchi replied as he gave Popplio an affectionate squeeze. Popplio barked in agreements.

It didn’t take the five trainers long to arrive at the Pokemon center. It was late noon when they arrived and by the time Pikachu was discharged the sun we beginning to set. While waiting Hinata had regained his spunk despite the loss, declaring that he wasn't going to fall behind any further.

“You just wait, Tsukishima! Next time we meet I won’t lose to you!” Hinata declared with Pikachu just as charged by his side.

“I highly doubt it,” Tsukishima shrugged with little care.

“Will you two be staying the night in the city?” Yachi asked Yamaguchi as the two ignored the bickering from beside them.

“Yeah, I think so. We still have some shopping to get done and we only just arrived today,” Yamaguchi hummed as he tried to remember all they still needed to do before heading out.

“Well, we are leaving tonight!” Hinata cut in. “I refuse to fall any further behind! Right, Yachi!”

“Yeah, I suppose we could leave tonight,” Yachi shrugged. “What about you, Kageyama?”

“Like I’m going to fall behind Hinata!” Kageyama barked in determination. 

It didn’t take long for Hinata, Yachi and Kageyama to gather their things and ready themselves to head out. With Hinata by the door about ready to run off, everyone readied to say their goodbyes. Yamaguchi couldn’t help but feel a bit sad to already part with their new friend but he was well aware that each trainer had their own paths to take. They had also exchanged contact information in hope to meeting up again later in their travels.

“It was really great meeting you both,” Yachi sighed with a melancholy edge. Something about her also seemed to be a bit tired. Yamaguchi couldn’t help but wonder if it had something to do with Kageyama and Hinata’s arguing.

“I hope we get to meet again soon,” Yamaguchi agreed with a sad smile.

“We’re definitely meeting again!” Hinata cheered. “I have a score to settle with glasses here!”

“Whatever you say, shorty,” Tsukishima hummed in disinterest.

“Next time I get to battle Tsukishima,” Kageyama cute in, his expression stone serious. Tsukishima looked to Kageyama with a curious edge but said nothing.

“No way! He is my rival!” Hinata snapped.

“You don’t get to call rivals like that, Hinata!” Kageyama bellowed.

“Oh yeah! Well I just did!” Hinata smirked.

“First one to the edge of the forest gets to battle Tsukishima next time,” Kageyama grumbled.

“You’re on!” Hinata growled.

With that the two trainers shot out of the Pokemon Center leaving Yachi behind.

“Oh, no! Here they go again!” Yachi sighed as she clumsily chased after them. “See you two around,” She called back before exiting the Pokemon Center.

Yamaguchi and Tsukishima watched the drama play out in confused silence.

“Well, looks like you won yourself two rivals, Tsukki” Yamaguchi laughed nervously as the dust outside began to settle.

“Shut up, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima sighed in exhaustion.

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi laughed sheepishly. 

And with that our two trainer's journey in Kalos had begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lucky Tsukki! He now has two whole rivals in Hinata and Kageyama. He must be so thrilled. Yama also go away with no gym battle but he can’t run forever. I wonder where their adventure is going to go next! There is only one way to find out and that is to read on.
> 
> I was surprised to come across free time this weekend to post this chapter! Really didn’t think I was going to be able to and I’m happy to to get it out. I should be able to get chapter 5 out on time next weekend no problem. It’s going to be a great one so don’t miss it!
> 
> I want to thank you all for the views, kudos, follows, bookmarks, comments and reviews! I love them so much and it really helps me find the fuel to write on! If you have the time please do leave a comment! I would love to hear from you readers :D
> 
> HAPPY HAIKYUU DAY <3
> 
> See you all next chapter!


	5. Expert Tracker Tsukki!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! I hope you are all doing well. I as totally ready to get this out on time! Totally lol. Well I hope you enjoy chapter 5!!! Let’s see what the first leg of their journey has in store.
> 
> I’d like to think my beta reader heichousheadphones (https://heichousheadphones.tumblr.com/) for taking time from their busy day to help me with my horrible grammar and for also helping me go through the thinking process while writing this little fic.
> 
> Without further ado, CHAPTER 5!

They next morning Yamaguchi and Tsukishima woke up early to find the sky sunny and clear of any clouds. A cool spring breeze blew through the city balancing out the strong sun to make the day pleasant and not too hot. If you were to ask Yamaguchi, it was the best way for them to start their journey. The day before they had been able to collect all the supplies they would need before arriving at the next town. This morning Yamaguchi was more than excited to head off into the woods to see what Kalos had in store for them. We find our two trainers just finishing up their last minute packing before leaving the Pokemon Center for the forest nearby.

“It looks like it will take us a few days if we go this route before getting to Santalune City,” Tsukishima hummed as he examined the map on his tablet. He had already finished with his packing.

“Oh right,” Yamaguchi hummed as he put away the last of their pokemon’s breakfast into his large backpacking pack. “What type of gym is in Santalune City again?” he reluctantly asked as he closed off his pack.

“Bug type it looks like,” Tsukishima replied as he flipped through his tablet.

“Oh right! Bug type,” Yamaguchi stuttered. “A bug type gym shouldn’t be too bad,” he unintentionally said allowed. Not wanting to burden Tsukishima, he immediately regretted the slip up.

Tsukishima replied with a thoughtful hum as he carried on looking through his tablet. Yamaguchi inwardly sighed in relief though he had a feeling Tsukishima had heard his reluctance loud and clear. Yamaguchi had promised he wouldn’t let his shortcomings show as much as they had in the past but he already felt he was failing at that.

“We’ll get going once you’re done packing,” Tsukishima instructed as he pocketed his tablet.

“Right, I’m almost finished,” Yamaguchi replied as he shoved his japamas and a can of Pokemon chow into a side zipper.

With Tsukishima being the guide it didn’t take the two long to find their way to the forest's edge. The bright morning sun shone down on a much more quiet Lumiose City than what Yamaguchi and Tsukishima had experienced midday yesterday. Yamaguchi soaked in the serene silence as shopkeepers busied themselves opening up their establishments. Even Prism Tower shone most beautifully as they passed by it on their way to the forest's edge. Yamaguchi felt sad to be leaving such a beautiful city but knew they would be back in no time to take on the gym.

The path out of the city and into the forest was quite inviting. There were no other trainers in sight as they started on the dirt path. Lush green grass speckled with a multitude of colorful tiny wildflowers framed the path and led to the tree line. The large forest trees half shaded the path on both ends allowing anyone who talked it to seek refuge from the sun if they so chose. Today was a crisp cool spring morning and Yamaguchi chose to walk the small bit of the path that was illuminated by the sun.

“So, is there a Pokemon Center between here and the next city,” Yamaguchi arbitrarily asked as he soaked in the beautiful morning.

“I think there is but we probably won’t make it to the Pokemon Center until sometime tomorrow afternoon,” Tsukishima replied, not bothering to check his tablet map.

“So I guess that means we have to sleep under the stars tonight,” Yamaguchi reluctantly chuckled. It’s not that he disliked sleeping outside it’s just that Yamaguchi was a bed person.

“We could always sleep in the trees,” Tsukishima dryly joked. This won him a sweet chuckle from Yamaguchi. 

“No way,” Yamaguchi laughed. “Last time I tried sleeping in a tree I fell out, remember?”

“That’s because you roll around when you sleep like you're some sort of gymnast or something,” Tsukishima hummed, his tone containing none of his normal snoot.

“Hey, it’s hard for a guy to find the right position,” Yamaguchi retorted playfully.

“The right position, huh?” Tsukishima hummed as he sent Yamaguchi a knowing glance. 

“Tsukki! I didn’t mean it in a dirty way!” Yamaguchi scolded as his face went as pink as a pecha berry.

Tsukishima replied with muffled ‘pfft’ as he fought to retain his smile. The taller trainer always seemed to gain enjoyment out of making his best friend blush. He'd never admit it aloud but he almost found it quite cute.

The two carried on down the path in a calm, comfortable, silence. This wasn’t an uncommon occurrence for them. While Tsukishima and Yamaguchi did often have good conversation, at the end of the day Tsukishima was not much of a talker. Yamaguchi was more than used to this and simply enjoyed the comfortable silence they shared when in each other’s company. It’s one of the few times Yamaguchi felt completely at ease.

It was late afternoon when the two trainers finally pulled over on the path, ventured into to the woods and found a open area to set up camp for the night. Fortunately for them they had come across a nice clearing not too far from a small stream. Tsukishima busied himself setting up their sleeping arrangements while Yamaguchi made himself busy setting up their campfire and an area to prepare food. Before long their small campsite was up and ready.

“Well, that didn't take long at all,” Yamaguchi said with a satisfied sigh as he looked over their hard work.

Tsukishima replied with a small shrug before calling out his two pokemon. “I’m going to go into the forest for a bit and look around, maybe find some berries,” he explained to both Yamaguchi and his pokemon. “You don’t have to come with me but you’re welcome to,” he said, directed more to his Pokemon than to Yamaguchi.

“Well, I will stay here and make us some lunch,” Yamaguchi replied. At this Salazzle slithered her way to Yamaguchi’s side. Standing up on her hind legs, she rested her head upon his shoulder licking at his ear. A shiver ran down Yamaguchi’s spine as he released a giggle.

“I guess that means Salazzle will stay back and help you,” Tsukishima commented more than asked. Neither were too surprised. Salazzle always enjoyed being by Yamaguchi’s side when he was preparing food.

“It would seem so,” Yamaguchi laughed once more as Salazzle licked at his ear. “But don’t be out too long, Tsukki. Lunch will be ready soon.”

“Yes, Mom,” Tsukishima drawled with an almost playful shake of his hand. Yamaguchi rolled his eyes as he watched Snivy and Tsukki disappear into the woods. 

“Come on out, Popplio,” Yamaguchi cheerfully called as he released Popplio from her ball. “Do you two want to help me prepare lunch?” Yamaguchi asked to both Popplio and Salazzle.

Popplio barked in joy as she released several large bubbles from her nose as Salazzle licked at Yamaguchi’s cheek. 

“I take that as a yes,” Yamaguchi laughed as he once more gently pushed Salazzle away.

With his apron on and his sue chefs at the ready, Yamaguchi began on making a nutritious lunch. While Yamaguchi chopped away at the vegetables and berries, Salazzle and Popplio worked together to get a pot over the fire to boil. It wasn’t long before a warm creamy vegetable and berry stew bubbled over the fire.

“Thank you both for your hard work,” Yamaguchi praised as he gave both Popplio and Salazzle affectionate pats. “You both go take a rest and I will call you over when lunch is ready.”

Salazzle ended up curled comfortably beside Yamaguchi, her firey body keeping Yamaguchi quite warm, while Popplio made to splash about in the small stream. Stirring the stew on occasion and petting Salazzle with is free hand, Yamaguchi watched Popplio play in relaxed bliss. Yamaguchi always did enjoy being in nature. He wished he could experience moments like this more often.

Almost as if he knew the stew to be done, Tsukishima and Snivy arrived back just as Yamaguchi began to serve up their lunch. As Yamaguchi filled their colorful plastic bowls with stew, Salazzle leaned upon his back practically drooling at the mouth. Popplio watched in innocent amusement from the shade as her trainer struggled to fill the bowls.

“Tsukki, get your Pokemon under control,” Yamaguchi half sighed half laughed as Salazzle licked at his ear.

“Can’t help it if she is hungry,” Tsukishima shrugged not lifting a finger to help. He always found Salazzles clinginess towards Yamaguchi to be too amusing to stop.

“Salazzle, hanging on someone like this is bad manners,” Yamaguchi tried, his tone unintentionally babyish. Salazzle released a cheeky hiss before licking at his ear once more. “Fine, fine your meal is next,” Yamaguchi sighed as he placed the pot of creamy stew in the center of the table.

Salazzle did a little shimmy as she backed off of Yamaguchi’s shoulder. As she did so she found herself joined by a very enthusiastic Popplio, who was blowing bubbles, and a slightly less enthusiastic Snivy who looked to Yamaguchi expectantly. 

“You two will be fed now as well,” Yamaguchi laughed as he stepped around the pokemon to his pack.

“Anything happen while I was away?” Tsukishima asked as he sat at the table and started on his stew.

“No, not really,” Yamaguchi hummed. “A Fletchling tried to steal some of our berries,” he carried on as he placed a bowl of Pokemon chow topped with stew in front of each hungrily awaiting pokemon.

“Did you try to catch it?” Tsukishima asked with mild interest. His amber eyes studied Yamaguchi closely.

“What? N-no,” Yamaguchi sputtered as he joined Tsukishima at the table. “You know I’m no good at catching Pokemon,” he added in a low mumble. He slowly stirred his bowl of stew, avoiding eye contact with Tsukishima.

Tsukishima’s eye were fixed on Yamaguchi, and Yamaguchi could feel it. A long silence passed between the two. This always happened when Yamaguchi talked down about himself. Even when he wanted to, Tsukishima was never the best at consoling people and Yamaguchi was well aware of it. It always left Yamaguchi feeling guilty and awkward.

“I’m going back into the woods after lunch,” Tsukishima said, breaking the awkward silence. “I’ve found the tracks of a Pokemon I want to try to catch. You should come along.”

“Really? What Pokemon?” Yamaguchi asked in interest, looking up from his lunch to Tsukki.

“You’ll have to come and find out,” Tsukishima replied in a cool but inviting tone. 

“Sure, I don’t really have anything better to do after lunch,” Yamaguchi admitted as he went back to stirring his stew. 

Another beat of silence filled the camp site.

“The stew is good by the way,” Tsukishima commented, only glancing at Yamaguchi for a moment.

“Oh, thanks. It’s nothing special,” Yamaguchi replied, his cheeks turning a brilliant shade of pink. His heart fluttered from the complement as his veins filled with a warmth determination. This seemed to happen more and more often when talking with this best friend.

The rest of lunch was filled with a much more comfortable silence. It wasn’t long before both trainers found their bowls empty and stomachs full. Popplio and Salazzle snuggled comfortably under the shade of a tree while Snivy sat by the streams edge scanning the surroundings. 

Tsukki had gone quiet. Yamaguchi could tell the trainer was in deep thought. Most likely planning out a strategy to catch whatever Pokemon he had been tracking. This was another thing Tsukki had always been good at that Yamaguchi admired. Yamaguchi often felt like Tsukki could do anything.

Yamaguchi made himself busy cleaning the dishes. Tsukki had insisted he would do it since Yamaguchi had cooked but the trainer was in such deep thought, Yamaguchi didn’t want to disturb him. He’d probably be told off by Tsukki later. Halfway through cleaning the dishes he could feel Tsukki’s amber eyes on his back.

“I thought I said I would do the cleaning,” Tsukishima mumbled in mild annoyance from behind Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi quickly stood and turned to face Tsukishima, dropping a fork as he did so. “Oh, well everything is done so…” Yamaguchi shrugged as he gave a small nervous smile. “Besides, you should concentrate on your catch.”

Tsukishima studied him for a long moment. Yamaguchi held his smile, it softening in to a more natural one at the moments passed. “Are you ready to head out than?” Tsukishima asked.

“Yeah, let’s head out,” Yamaguchi cheered, leaving the fallen fork forgotten on the floor. “Come on, Popplio, we’re going to go watch Tsukki catch a Pokemon!” He cheered as he walked past Tsukki to where Popplio lay. Tsukishima’s gaze following him the whole way.

Popplio barked enthusiastically as she left Salazzle's side. Salazzle licked at the air lethargically as she watched Popplio leap into Yamaguchi’s arms.

“You’re coming too,” Tsukishima said as he approached the large black lizard. “I may need your strength.”

Salazzled replied with a neutral hiss showing she understood but would rather sleep longer. Tsukishima didn’t waste time calling her back into her ball.

“We’re ready to go, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi chered with Popplio in his arms.

“You two are going to need to stay quiet,” Tsukishima snapped, thought his tone was not too harsh.

“Oh right! Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi smiled sheepishly. 

With that the two trainers headed into the woods. Snivy lead the way following what looked to be a game path. They diverted from the walking path as they followed the recently disheveled brush. Wandering from the path set Yamaguchi’s stomach upside down but he fought back the feeling as he followed close behind Tsukki.

The thick wood were heavily shaded by the surrounding trees. Everything looked the same to Yamaguchi and with his horrible sense of direction he made sure to stay close to Tsukki. Despite his own anxiety, Popplio sat in his arms without a care in the world. This brought a slight amount of comfort to Yamaguchi but didn’t help him stay calm when a nearby bush rustled.

“Tsukki, what was that?” Yamaguchi hissed in mild panic.

Tsukishima made a motion to keep quiet as he turned towards the bush. Yamaguchi made to hide half behind his friend, peeking out from behind Tsukki. From Tsukki’s posture and expression he did not seem to know what was in the bush.

The bush rustled once more as a rather fat pidgey came bursting from it. The fat bird gave a loud squawk as it went right for the two trainers. It looked as if the large bird was having trouble getting it’s fat ass off the ground. The seen would have been comical if Yamaguchi hadn't been so spooked by the whole episode. Just as the pidgey was about the fly right into Tsukishima’s face, it vered to the left and flew up into the canopy.

“Arceus! That scared the crap out of me,” Yamaguchi hissed with a small embarrassed laugh.

“Let’s keep moving,” Tsukishima hummed in mild annoyance. 

“Tsukki, what is it that we are tracking?” Yamaguchi asked in a low whisper.

“You’ll see when we find it,” Tsukaima replied in an even quieter whisper. “But if we keep talking we’ll scare it away and never find it.”

Yamaguchi went to apologise but stopped himself realizing Tsukki wanted quiet.

Before long the two trainers made there way out of the forest into a grassy meadow. The long grass reached up just past Tsukishima’s kneecaps. The game path they had been following disappeared into the tall grass and it was only when Yamaguchi looked carefully did he see that the path was still present in the grass.

Both trainers got low as they followed the faint path. At times Yamaguchi felt as if he’d lost complete sight of the path, but Tsukki never stopped moving on ward. Tsukki had always had a keener eye with these things. Several times Tsukki motioned for Yamaguchi to get lower until both trainers were practically on their hands and knees. Yamaguchi had a feeling that they must have been close to whatever Pokemon would be at the end of this path.

Yamaguchi’s face almost ran head first into Tsukishima’s ass at the taller tainer came to a sudden stop. With his nose only centimeters away from Tsukishima’s butt, Yamaguchi could not stop himself from going a deep red. Why did Tsukki have to have such a nice butt?

Tsukishima motioned for Yamaguchi to come up beside him, not taking notice of how flustered his friend currently was. Doing his best and failing to keep his cool, Yamaguchi came up beside Tsukki. He was unable to look his friend in the eye nor did he dare ask what was going on, so Yamaguchi squatted beside his friend.

Tsukki motioned for Yamaguchi to keep quiet before pointing ahead. Yamaguchi followed Tsukishima’s finger to find a large rock sticking out of the sea of grass. Atop the rock sat a pokemon. A light blue bipedal dragon with a helmet upon it’s head looked up into the sky. Yamaguchi failed to hold in a small gasp as he realized it to be a Bagon.

The small Bagon didn’t take notice of the gasp for it carried on looking up at the sky. Yamaguchi silently mouthed if that was the Pokemon they were tracking. With a small smile, Tsukishima nodded in confirmation. Yamaguchi fell back slightly not wanting to get in the way of his friend's capture. Tsukishima looked to Snivy to see that she was ready to battle. Both trainer and Pokemon got into position, one on either side of the Bagon, both still concealed by the grass. Yamaguchi watched on in pure admiration for his best friend.

“Bagon, I have come to battle you,” Tsukishima announced as he popped up from the grass. It was so sudden that even Yamaguchi let out a small yelp of surprise.

The Bagon gave a startled growled as it clumsily rolled off the rock into the grass.

“Snivy, use leaf tornado to clear out the grass,” Tsukishima commanded as he jumped on the rock to get better vantage point.

Snivy replied with a curt hiss before releasing a storm of leaves on the area. Feeling a bit too close for comfort, Yamaguchi stumbled back, almost dropping Popplio. The grass around the rock became short enough that nothing could hide in it, revealing the slightly startled Bagon.

“Vine Whip, Snivy,” Tsukishima cooly instructed as both he and Snivy caught sight of their target. The vine whip was a direct hit sending the dragon flying.

The Bagon was quick to be on it’s feet but didn't seem startled anymore. It gave a small growl before releasing an ember directed at Snivy. Snivy cooly dodged the attack before Tsukki called out for her to use tackle. Every so quickly Snivy tackled the dragon type almost sending it flying in Yamaguchi’s direction.

Popplio barked in amusement as Yamaguchi gave a small yelp. Tripping over his own feet, Yamaguchi ran a few more steps back from the scuffle. Once he felt at a much safer distance he turned to find Snivy being hit by a direct ember. 

“Oh no! Snivy,” Yamaguchi found himself yelling without meaning to. The attack looked like it hurt but Snivy was still on her feet. The bagon looked equally, if not more, exhausted.

“Tackle one more time!” Tsukishima commanded sternly. 

Without hesitation Snivy went head on towards the Bagon. The Bagon gave a shocked yelp before Snivy sent it flying. It landed hard and before it could so mach as get up, Tsukishima sent a Great Ball in it’s direction. The red light form the ball swallowed up the dragon before it landed on the ground. Both Yamaguchi and Tsukishima waited in complete silence as the ball wiggled three times before clicking into submission. Another moment of silence held heavy in the air.

“Tsukki! You did it!” Yamaguchi cheered loudly as he ran to his best friend. Popplio barked in utter joy all the while.

Tsukishima picked up the blue ball studying it for a moment. “See, Yamaguchi?” Tsukishima calmly said as he turned to face Yamaguchi, ball still in hand. “Catching a Pokemon isn't that hard. Next time it’s your turn,” he carried on with a very small but confident smile.

Yamaguchi stopped short but returned Tsukishima’s smile with one of his own. “Sure, I’ll do my best.”

By the time the two trainers returned to their campsite it was already late noon. They had a little bit of time to relax before Yamaguchi had to prepare dinner. Tsukishima made himself comfortable under a tree while Salazzle snuggled up close to him. Yamaguchi was taking the free time to patch up Snivy and Baygon.

“This burn is pretty bad so this might hurt,” Yamaguchi gently explained before spraying a mist of hyper position on the small snake Pokemon. 

Snivy gave a small uncomfortable hiss but did not bother to pull away. Yamaguchi then placed a small bandage on the burn. He wasn’t any Nurse Joy, but had taken time to study rudimentary Pokemon first aid. As Yamaguchi finished patching up Snivy, Bagon and Popplio weaved between his legs as they played an odd game of tag. Snivy gave a small unapproving glance at the two Pokemon but neither seemed to care.

“Now you go rest up with Tsukki, okay,” Yamaguchi hummed as he placed Snivy on the ground. 

The small snake dodged Popplio and Bagon as they both ran past. Quicker than normal, Yamaguchi snatched up the rambunctious Bagon. The blue dragon struggled for only a moment in his grasp.

“This will only take a moment,” Yamaguchi explained as he placed Bagon on the table. “I’m just going to give you a small bit of medicine to help patch up these bruises,” he carried on, unsure if Bagon understood.

Bagon looked to Popplio who send him a reassuring bark. This seemed to convince him for he sat obediently for Yamaguchi.

“This might sting,” Yamaguchi whispered as he gently sprayed at the bruises with a normal potion. Bagon gave an uncomfortable grunt but allowed Yamaguchi to work on him. “Now eat this, then you can go on and play some more,” Yamaguchi instructed as he handed Bagon and oran berry. Bagon happily ate the berry in one bite before Yamaguchi gently placed him back on the floor.

“Thank you for patching both of them up,” Tsukishima said from just behind Yamaguchi. “Snivy never sits still for anyone else,” he carried on, his head resting just behind Yamaguchi’s. Yamaguchi hadn’t seen Tsukishima get up and the sudden feel of his best friend breath on his ear set his heart a flutter. 

“It’s no big deal, Tsukki. My pleasure,” Yamaguchi sputtered as he turned to face his friend. His heart beat like crazy as Tsukishima studied him. There were times Yamaguchi wonder what it was Tsukishima was looking at when he did this.

“Next we’ll hunt a Pokemon for you to catch,” Tsukishima's cool voice broke the awkward silence. 

“Right, sure,” Yamaguchi replied with a not so convincing smile.

Another moment of silence passed between the two. Tsukishima's eyes carried on studying Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi almost felt exposed as his cheeks went pink. He both hated it and loved it when he had Tsukishima’s undivided attention. 

“Let’s get some rest and then I’ll help start dinner,” Tsukishima finally said, breaking the silence once more. He then turned and made his way back under the tree where Salazzle lay.

“Right, rest,” Yamaguchi sputtered, his heart still racing slightly from the closeness.

As Yamaguchi’s heart regained it’s normal rate as he made to sit under the tree on the other side of the sleeping Salazzle. In a relaxed silence, both he and Tsukishima watched as Popplio and Bagon tussled about the campsite. With the odd atmosphere gone, it didn’t take long for Yamaguchi to fall into a comfortable sleep. With the sun setting lower in the sky, the rest of the afternoon passed in a lazy comfort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hurray! First Pokemon Caught! Tsukki needed a dragon type and why not make it his first. I wonder if Yamaguchi will be able to catch the next Pokemon! 
> 
> As always I should be able to get a chapter up for next week I just don’t know when. My time is still going to be crunched but I will do my best so keep an eye out!
> 
> As always, thank you all so much for the Kudos, Follows, Bookmarks, Reviews and Comments! I love to see what you all think so if you have a moment do leave me a comment! I would love to hear from you all.
> 
> I know these author notes are much shorter than normal but I’m off for now!
> 
> See you all next chapter!!!


	6. Mud, Burns and Fluff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! This is going up much later than I anticipated. My holiday ended up being far too busy for me to find time to use the internet. Sorry about that. But here is chapter 6. Super ready for you all to finally read it. Please enjoy!
> 
> (https://heichousheadphones.tumblr.com/) for taking time from their busy day to help me with my horrible grammar and for also helping me go through the thinking process while writing this little fic.
> 
> Let’s read chapter 6!!!!

Once again the two trainers were greeted by a bright clear blue sky as they left the Pokemon Center early that morning. The air was still cool but Yamaguchi could taste the ever growing warmth in the air. As they started their way down the path that lead back into the forest, Yamaguchi gave a satisfying stretch. Sleeping in beds really was much better than sleeping on the hard forest floor. He was grateful they had made it to the Pokemon center yesterday for he had woken up the morning before feeling stiff after spending the night on a rather large rock.

“Do you really think we’ll make it to Santalune City in just two nights?” Yamaguchi whined bleakly, not wanting to spend more time than needed on the hard forest floor.

“Maybe,” Tsukishima shrugged, none too interested in his best friend’s bellyaching.

“I’m thinking I might just buy a cushion or something to sleep on in the next town,” Yamaguchi carried on, his tone holding less of a wine.

Tsukishima replied with a silent shrug. One might mistake this as a sign of disinterest but Yamaguchi knew better. Tsukishima was not one for contributing to a conversation if he had nothing to say.

“I mean I do have a little more space in my pack, so why not?” Yamaguchi sighed thoughtfully. To be honest he was really just rambling to pass the time.

A comfortable silence hung between the two. Tsukishima’s gaze was fixed ahead while Yamaguchi looked around at the trees that lined the path. The forest was not as thick as before and he could just make out what looked to be an open meadow between the trees. He mindlessly scanned the trees to see if he could catch a glimpse of any wild Pokemon. He had promised to be the next to catch a Pokemon and perhaps catching one before getting to the first gym wasn’t such a bad idea.

“Tsukki, do you know what kinds of Pokemon are in this area?” Yamaguchi asked, looking from the trees to his travel companion.

“I can’t really recall off the top of my head, but we can check the tablet when we stop to set up camp,” Tsukishima replied in a monotone voice.

Yamaguchi gave a thoughtful humm to show he had heard him before returning his gaze to the forest. The two walked on in mostly silence with random bouts of chatter, mostly from Yamaguchi, sprinkled here and there. The path they followed was relatively flat and the scenery, though beautiful, was unchanging. Yamaguchi found himself falling into a variety of daydreams as they walked along, barely taking notice when Tsukishima called his name.

“It’s past noon, we should probably set up camp for the day,” Tsukishima stated as he stopped in his tracks, causing Yamaguchi to crash into him.

“Ack!” Yamauchi sqeaked as he gently bumped face first into Tsukishima’s back. Tsukishima didn’t react to the collusion as he examined his tablet. “It’s only noon so we should be able to keep going. I made us rice balls for lunch today too so…” Yamaguchi hummed as he looked over Tsukishima’s shoulder at the tablet.

“There is a nice open meadow only a few minutes away from here,” Tsukishima cut in. “We are staying there tonight.”

“A meadow? Why do we have to stay there?” Yamaguchi questioned, finding it strange that Tsukki would be so adamant about staying the night in any particular place.

“There are lots of wild Pokemon around and a lot of open space,” Tsukishima explained, turing to face Yamaguchi. “It will be the perfect environment for you to catch your first Kalos Pokemon.”

“What?” Yamaguchi spat in shock. Tsukishima looked at him expectantly and Yamaguchi could not help but send his friend a timid smile. “Right, sounds like a great place then,” he agreed, his smile only slightly strained. Maybe the meadow really was a good place for him to start his hunt.

With an approving nod, Tsukishima turned on his heels and lead Yamaguchi into the woods. Yamaguchi followed close after not wanting to get lost in the thick brush. It wasn’t long before Tsukki lead them into a beautiful open meadow. 

Yamaguchi had never seen a field so vast in all his life. His eyes widened in wonder as he took in the lush beauty. The tall green grass reached out as far as the eye could see and at the far end he could just make out what looked to be a mountain range. Large boulders sprinkled the filed along with vast plots of wild flowers. The grass and flowers swayed beautifully as gentle gusts of wind licked through the meadow. Yamaguchi could definitely see why so many wild Pokemon could be found here.

“Wow, Tsukki, this place is amazing!” Yamaguchi gasped as he followed after his friend. They walked through the field for a while longer as they searched out the perfect place to set up camp. As they went Yamaguchi took notice of the vast array of bird Pokemon that took flight every now and then and smiled widely when a group tiny Flabébé floated past, all holding a different color flower.

Before long they had located an area where the grass was not as tall and the ground flat. Not too far from the spot Yamaguchi could hear the faint sound of a babbling brook. He suspected that several a trainer had used this exact stop for a camp.

In a calming silence the two set up camp for the day. If Yamaguchi was to be honest, despite his reservations earlier, he could see himself spending a few days at this camp site. The calm quiet beautiful scenery with the lush soft grass already set the young trainer into nap mode.

“Did you see any Pokemon you wanted to go for on our way here?” Tsukishima asked as he made himself comfortable on the grassy floor.

“The Flabébé were pretty cute,” Yamaguchi admitted as he dug up the rice balls he had made that morning. He handed a few over to Tsukishima, taking notice of how the other trainer study him silently.

“Yeah, they’re alright I guess,” Tsukishima agreed after a moments silence.

Yamaguchi started on his riceball in awkward silence. He was afraid. He hadn’t ever been successful at catching Pokemon growing up. He always messed the catch up and ended up with nothing to show for it. His fear didn’t come from the Pokemon itself nor did it come from the act of finding the Pokemon. What he feared the most was failure. He didn’t know if he could handle another failed catch so early into his journey.

Shaking his head violently and causing Tsukishima to send him a concerned glance, Yamaguchi shook away all his doubt. He could not let his negativity get in his way. So what if he didn’t catch anything on his first hunt? There was always next time. And if that is a failure too then the time after that. Yamaguchi furiously ate his riceball as he did his best to pump himself up.

“Don’t choke,” Tsukishima scolded, his gaze mildly disapproving. He passed of a bottle of razz berry juice to Yamaguchi who downed it just as quickly. 

“Thanks, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi said with a breathy sigh before wiping the juice from his upper lip. With another sigh he stood up from where he sat. “I’m heading out then!” he declared, not wanting to lose what little determination he had.

“But we’ve only just started eating,” Tsukishima pointed out, looking to Yamaguchi in uncertainty. “You’ve only eaten one of your three rice balls…”

“Not hungry,” Yamaguchi insisted. It was true. The idea of Pokemon hunting had chased away any appetite he previously had. “I’m going to head out and we can meet back up later!” he insisted, making sure he had Popplio safely secured on his belt.

“If you say so…” Tsukishima sighed, not bothering to argue the topic.

“When you see me next, I’ll have one more Pokemon,” Yamaguchi feigned confidence.

“Remember to stay low and quiet when you are sneaking up on anything,” Tsukishima reminded Yamaguchi, nonetheless giving his friend a lazy thumbs up.

“Right-Oh!” Yamaguchi cheered, giving the best smile he could.

With that Yamaguchi rushed out of the campsite. In all honesty he didn’t want Tsukishima to see him fail catching a Pokemon once more. It will be much easier to catch something without an audience. Tsukishima’s keen eyes followed after Yamaguchi until he disappeared behind a large rock.

Yamaguchi hadn’t tried to capture a Pokemon for what must have been three years now. His last attempt had ended him with a broken arm and several wasted great balls. It had always been a dream of his to catch a Rockruff but try as he might any time he found a wild Rockruff it always ended with him face down in the dirt and dogless. The many failed attempts of his youth sent a shiver down his spine. He swore here and now that he would not allow himself to give up as easily as he did in the past. 

Once he was away from the campsite Yamaguchi examined his surroundings. He saw an area not too far away where several large boulders poked out of the grass like islands at sea. Further from that, he made out what looked to be a patch of multicolored flowers. His eyes then wandered to the forest he and Tsukki had come from. All three of these places were bound to have at least one pokemon for him to try and catch. He immediately shook off going into the forest knowing he’d never be able to find his way out of it alone. Yamaguchi pondered only a moment longer before setting his sights on the boulders.

Remembering what he and Tsukki had done yesterday, Yamaguchi made sure to crouch low in the tall grass. He didn’t want to scare away any Pokemon that might be hiding amongst the rocks. As he approached the rocks he stopped short, pulling out a pair of binoculars. Peering through them he looked for any sign of movement. His breathing was shallow with concentration as he scanned the area. 

It was his second time over that he noticed it. Something was moving just behind the third rock to the right. He could not make out what it was from his current position. Crouching down even lower he slowly made his way to the rocks. He kept a keen eye on the rock where he had seen the movement, making sure whatever it was hadn’t fled. Before long he had arrived at the first rock. He peered around it to see if the Pokemon was still there. He could make out a long brown ear poking out from behind the third rock. Whatever it was, it was still there.

He crouched down and swiftly moved to the second rock. He heard the Pokemon stop it’s movement as if it possibly sensed Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi felt his heartbeat heavy with nerves but pushed forward. Once he was upon the third rock he reached his hand to his belt, grasping the ball that carried Popplio. With an audible gulp and a count to three he lept from behind the rock.

“Popplio, come on out” Yamaguchi called as he simultaneously caught sight of the Pokemon he had been stalking. It was a Bunnelby. 

The small brown rabbit like Pokemon looked to Yamaguchi and Popplio in utter shock. Popplio gave an excited bark that sounded like she was excited to make friends with this new Pokemon as opposed to fighting it. The Bunnelby’s shock wore off quickly as it sized up both Yamaguchi and Popplio. Yamaguchi felt a wave of shame at feeling intimidated by such a cute pokemon.

“P-Popplio, use water gun!” Yamaguchi commanded as steadily as he could.

Popplio gave an excited bark before sending a fast stream of water towards Bunnelby. The brown rabbit used it’s ears to leap high into the air, dodging the attack.

“Crap!” Yamaguchi cured as he watched the rabbit soar high. “Water gun again, Popplio!” He wouldn’t give in!

Yamaguchi watched in horror as the Bunnelby dodged the water gun once more in the exact same manner. This time, as Bunnelby reached the apex of it’s jump, it launched large wads of mud at both Popplio and Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi gave a muffled cry as a glob of mud slapped him right in the face sending him falling.

With mud now clouding his vision, Yamaguchi struggled to see what was going on. He rubbed at his face trying to remove the thick mud. He could hear Popplio barking in what sounded like innocent amusement.

“P-Popplio! Help!” Yamaguchi sputtered, spitting mud out of his mouth. The next thing Yamaguchi knew he was getting a face full of Popplio’s water gun. He sputtered and struggled against the attack for only a moment before Popplio barked with joy. “Thanks, Popplio,” Yamaguchi deadpanned as he tried to ignore the water that had just gone up his nose.

He felt his heart drop only to find that Bunnelby was gone. It only took him a moment to notice a large whole the rabbit had used as a get way. Yamaguchi released a disheartened sigh as he lifted himself off the floor. He should have known this would happen. He had left himself far to open for the wild pokemon to attack both himself and Popplio. He wondered what Tsukki would have done to have avoided this outcome.

With a heavy sigh Yamaguchi look around in an attempt to regroup himself. He could try to follow the Bunnelby but it was most likely miles below ground now and would probably not be back for a while. He scanned the area to find several more large rocks scattered about. This creature was a failure but perhaps he could find another pokemon behind one of these other rocks. With a shake of his head and slap to his face, Yamaguchi did his best to not lose heart.

He brushed himself off once more before taking Popplio into his arms and heading off towards another boulder. The first three boulders he checked behind all came up empty but he got lucky on the fourth boulder. To his delight he found a very startled Scatterbug. At first he thought for sure he was going to catch the Scatterbug easily but after getting a face full of string shot the small worm squirmed away into the tallgrass. 

His next few encounters with wild Pokemon ended is a very similar manner. When he came across a pidgey it used sand attack blinding both Yamaguchi and Popplio. After that Yamaguchi and Popplio faced off against a very aggressive Fletchinder that left Yamaguchi with several angry burns on his arm and cheeks as well as charred clothing. Even Popplio felt worn after that confrontation. Lastly was a Vivillon who’s stunspor missed Popplio but hit Yamaguchi head on. By the time Yamaguchi had eaten a cheri berry to remove the paralisis effects from himself, Vivillon was long gone. 

Exhausted, burned, sore, dirty, and on the brink of giving up, Yamaguchi slouched down beside a large white boulder. He buried his face into his bent knees and did his best not to cry. This always happened. He was horrible at strategy. Thinking on the spot was next to impossible for him. He was never quick enough to command his Pokemon, nor was he any good at reading the oncoming attacks. He didn’t want to fail his Pokemon. He choked down a frustrated sob as a few tears trailed down his cheeks.

It was only when he felt Popplio lean against his side that he looked up. The small blue seal looked to Yamaguchi in concern, her normal bubbly demeanor nowhere to be seen. A sad smile graced Yamaguchi’s lips as he stroked her smooth head.

“Sorry girl, I just needed a rest,” Yamaguchi choked, doing his best to fight the negativity he felt.

This seemed to lighten Popplio’s mood slightly for the worry in her eyes lessened as she nuzzled her trainer's hand.

“How about we have a small snack before we carry on?” Yamaguchi suggested, taking notice of how worn Popplio had become. He reached into his bag and pulled out a few oran berries for them both to share. 

Popplio happily dug into her snack with much glee. The small act brought a smile to Yamaguchi’s face. As the two ate their snack, their exhaustion faded little by little. As Yamaguchi snacked he did his best to wrack his mind about a strategy for the next Pokemon he came across. Jumping out form behind the rocks was not doing him any favors. He was well aware now that he had been making both himself and Popplio easy targets by having their backs to the large boulders. 

His eyes scanned the field as he considered going to another area. Perhaps one with more space for Popplio and himself to dodge attacks? He scanned his surroundings three times before his eyes fell on the patch of colorful flowers. Pulling out his binoculars he scanned the flowery area to see if there were any Pokemon. To his delight there was a large group of Flabébé spritzing around. Flabébé were not so aggressive so perhaps he could go after one of them.

“I have an idea Popplio, but you’re going to have to go along with what I say for it to work,” Yamaguchi confidently said as he placed his binoculars back into his pack. With a small bark, Popplio looked to him in curiosity.

His plan was to block off the Flabébé from both sides. If Popplio came in from the north and Yamaguchi came in from the south and they worked together to block off any escapes maybe they would be able to catch themselves a Flabébé. The plan had to work. 

Yamaguchi found himself practically on his stomach as he hid in the tall grass only a few feet away from a small group of Flabébé. The small flower wielding faries did not seem to notice him or Popplio, who had snuck around to the other side. Yamaguchi held his breath as he waited for the right moment to signal Popplio to attack. The wind seemed to sit still as the pressure build up in Yamaguchi’s stomach. One, two, three….

“Popplio, NOW!” Yamaguchi commanded as he sprang from his hiding spot. Popplio, too, jumped out from where she hid.

The sudden appearance of the two newcomers caused the Flabébé to let loose screams as they began to scatter.

“Water Gun!” Yamaguchi commanded. 

As the Flabébé began to float up into the sky in a slight panic Popplio sent water up into the air, gravity working against her. As the Flabébé drifted higher and higher Yamaguchi became more aware of his plan’s flaw. This hadn’t even occured to him.

“No!” Yamaguchi choked as the small fairies floated too high for water gun to have any affect. He felt another wave of frustration and defeat bubble in his stomach. “Come back please! Battle me!” He pleaded as the small fairies floated off, paying him no mind.

Another wave of self disappointment washed over Yamaguchi like an ocean wave. Why was he no good at this? Why couldn’t he catch at least one Pokemon without flubbing it up? How was he supposed to go back and face Tsukki as a failure again!? This journey was supposed to be different! Things were supposed to be better! All these thought raced through his mind as he did his best to not break down.

It was then that Yamaguchi heard a strange noise. It was like a whimper or perhaps a yawn. He whipped around to see the flowers moving where he and Popplio had just used water gun. Both Yamaguchi and Popplio got into a defensive stance on either side of the moving flowers. Perhaps not all the Flabébé had flown off.

Both watched in belated breath as a pink round cotton candy like creature emerged from the flowers. The creature was small, no bigger than a bag of cotton candy, and so poofy it’s legs and arms were nowhere to be seen. A small pink tail stick out from below it’s poofy body as it seemed to float with the wind. Yamaguchi was in shock for only a moment as he came to realize it was a Swirlix.

For the first time in a while Yamaguchi shook himself from his shock and took action. It may not have been his original target but he was not going to come back to the camp empty handed. “Popplio use tackle!” He commanded.

Just as quickly Popplio tackled the poofball. This seemed to startle Swirlix for it let loose a loud cry. The Swirlix seemed upset by the sudden attack and began to cry loudly. This caused Popplio to falter lowering her defense but Yamaguchi knew better.

“Don’t believe it, Popplio, those tears are fake! Water gun, now!” Yamaguchi quickly instructed. He counted himself lucky that the Swirlix had just been awoken from a nap or this battle could have been a lot more hectic. 

Acting quick Popplio sent a strong stream of water right at Swirlix. The small pink puffball flew back, dischovled from the attack. Not wanting to chance it, Yamaguchi produced a Pokeball from his back pocket. 

“Here goes nothing!” he shouted at the threw the ball at the stunned Swirlix. 

The red light of the ball swallowed up the pink Pokemon before falling into the flowers. Both Yamaguchi and Popplio rushed over to the ball to see if the catch took. The red light flashed, one, two, and three times before it clicked into submission.

“We did it, Popplio! We caught a Swirlix!” Yamaguchi sang as he scooped up the ball and did a little dance. All the while Popplio blew large celebratory bubbles before jumping into Yamaguchi’s arms. Still full of utter joy, Yamaguchi caught Popplio in a large hug and swirled around twice all the while singing “You were just amazing!”

It took both Yamaguchi and Popplio a moment to come down from their high. This was the first time every Yamaguchi had ever caught a wild pokemon without it being an accident. A small warmth of pride swelled in his chest. He never imagined battling and catching a Pokemon would feel so great. He felt so accomplished. He couldn’t wait to show Tsukki.

Oh, that’s right! He had to show Tsukki! Yamaguchi looked around as Tsukki ran through his mind. He scanned the field finding that the camp was nowhere in sight. They had come from that direction, right? Yamaguchi’s mind screamed as he looked in a random direction only to realize it led to the forest. They hadn’t come from the forest.

“No worries, Popplio! I know how to get back to the camp,” Yamaguchi insisted. Popplio was none too concerned. Yamaguchi on the other hand was quite concerned. They would just retrace their steps. He looked around for the rocks only to find two areas in the distance that had boulders. Yamaguchi couldn't remember what boulders he had been hunting around in. Panic began to set in.

“That battle wasn’t too bad!” a very familiar voice came from behind both Yamaguchi and Popplio.

“Tsukki! What? Why are you here?” Yamaguchi gasped as he turned to face his friend.

“Just hunting for Pokemon myself and I happened upon you,” Tsukishima shrugged, his cheeks dusted pink. Yamaguchi could tell what he said was probably a liying. He wanted to press on but chose to just let it go.

“Did you catch anything?” Yamaguchi tested.

“Nope. Didn't find anything of interest,” Tsukishima cooly replied. “You look kind of beaten up though,” he then pointed out, taking notice of the burns decorating Yamaguchi’s arm’s and cheeks and his charred shirt.

“Oh, yeah! Run in with a fire type,” Yamaguchi shrugged. “I caught something, though. So it was worth the scrapes and bruises,” he carried on with a proud smile. He held up the pokeball with Swirlix in it to prove his point. 

“I saw,” Tsukishima said with a half smile. It resembles the sort of smiles he sent when antagonizing people but whenever he did it to Yamaguchi it always had a much softer edge to it.

“Oh, uh, did you?” Yamaguchi awkwardly sputtered, realizing how lame his battle must have looked to someone with skills like Tsukki.

“Yeah,” Tsukishima hummed, the odd smile still in place. “Not too shabby for a first time catch in the new region,” he carried on, his tone neutral.

“I was like a clown compared to your catch, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi quickly replied, not ready to take any sort of compliment. “You were much more on top of things. You didn’t get flamethrower to the face nor bogged down by stun spore. It’s like you can predict the moves of both your and the opponent Pokemon-”

“Shut up, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima cut him off with a frown.

“Sorry, Tsukki” Yamaguchi smile sheepishly, not at all sorry. Tsukki really was an amazing trainer.

A moment of silence hung between the two. Tsukishima looked to Yamaguchi as if he wanted to tell him something but just couldn’t find the wording. Yamaguchi could not help but feel that moments like this have been passing between the two quite often since arriving in Kalos. He hadn’t a clue what was going on in Tsukki’s mind and dare not ask. He looked to Tsukki with a small almost shy anticipating smile.

“We should probably head back to camp,” Tsukishima almost sighed as he looked away from Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi swore he saw a blush on his cheeks. Perhaps it was just the heat of the day?

“Yeah, I’m totally beat,” Yamaguchi agreed, his small smile now bright. He knew Tsukki would eventually tell him what was on his mind once he was ready.

With that the two trainers left the small patch of flowers and headed back to their camp. Tsukishima taking the lead, Yamaguchi followed after yammering on about his afternoon. He told him of every Pokemon he had run into and downplayed his horrible defeats. All the while Tsukishima hummed along here and there to show he was listening.

Yamaguchi had wanted to get dinner preparations on the way once arriving back at their camp site. He planned to make curry and had to get the veggies and berries cooking if he wanted it to taste any good. To his surprise Tsukishima stopped him before he could so much as unpack the ingredients.

“You can start on dinner in a bit,” Tsukishima explained as he gently pushed Yamaguchi to sit in the shade of a boulder. His expression and tone was emotionless and flat causing Yamaguchi to sit down in confusion. 

“Tsukki?” Yamaguchi questioned as he watched Tsukki rummage around in a bag. It was only when Tsukki pulled out a can of burn cream and return to Yamaguchi did he understand. “Tsukki, you don’t need-”

“Shut up, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima scolded, his tone holding a soft edge.

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi mumbled as he allowed Tsukishima to examine his injured arm.

“It doesn't look too bad,” Tsukishima hummed as he wiped the burns down gently. “You’re lucky. Wild fire types can leave horrible burns if you’re not careful,” his tone almost sounded scolding.

“Right, I’ll be more careful next time,” Yamaguchi breathed as he did his best to fight the blush he felt coming. Tsukishima was rarely this gentle with anyone. He felt himself both lucky to receive such treatment but ashamed for disappointing the other trainer.

“Well, what is done is done,” Tsukishima shrugged, applying a bandage to the burn.

Another moment of silence filled the air as Tsukishima carried on to the burn on his other arm and cheeks. Yamaguchi did his best not to blush too fiercely. Tsukishima’s gentle hands brushing his skin setting his heart aflutter. Thoughts he dare not voice filled his head. He hadn’t had a clue Tsukki could be so soft and gentle.

“I didn’t realize you were such a good nurse,” Yamaguchi softly commented as an almost sassy smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He knew Tsukki would deny it.

“Shut up, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima sighed as he finished up the last bandage.

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi gently giggled, failing to hide his amusement. Tsukishima sent him what was meant to be a disappointed look but held too much affection to have any real effect on Yamaguchi. The two held eye contact for a moment longer than normal. “Thank you, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi said with a bright smile.

A satisfying blush found its way onto Tsukishima’s cheeks, though Yamaguchi only got a glimpse of it as Tsukishima stood up. “Rest up a bit and than we can start dinner,” Tsukishima flatly commanded as he put the first aid kit away.

“Sure thing, Nurse Tsukki,” Yamaguchi teased, his bright smile still present. Tsukishima chose not to reply this time.

With that the two young trainers settled into the camp for the evening. Yamaguchi falling fast asleep in the shade of the large rock. Tsukishima quietly sitting beside him as he flipped through a book. The calm atmosphere in the small camp carried on through the afternoon and into the evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hurray! Finally out little Yama has caught his first Pokemon. I knew you could do it, Yama. With come faith, trust and pixy-dust you can do anything. This chapter was such a pleasure to write and I hope it was just as nice for you all to read. Now we have to wonder what comes next for our trainers? Will they make it to the next gym? Will both of them earn a badge? There is only one way to find out so tune in next time!!!!
> 
> I am so sorry this chapter was so late. I ended up being away from home and without reliable internet to post this over my holiday. Chapter 7 shouldn’t be such a problem since I will not be traveling. It should be up next weekend on time. I am sure of it!.... Okay I am, like, 95% sure of it ^_^; trust me! It will be up!
> 
> As always, thank you all so much for the follows, bookmarks, kudos, comments and reviews. I love to hear from you guys so if you have a moment please leave me a review! TALK TO ME!!!! I mean talk to me please :P
> 
> Well that’s all for now! See you all next chapter!


	7. Santalune City

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! So here is good old chapter 7. Things are definitely going to get rolling so I hope you are all ready. These next few chapters will be a course setter for sure! 
> 
> I’d like to think my beta reader heichousheadphones (https://heichousheadphones.tumblr.com/) for taking time from their busy day to help me with my horrible grammar and for also helping me go through the thinking process while writing this little fic.
> 
> Chapter 7 HERE WE GO!!!!!

It was late afternoon when Yamaguchi and Tsukishima arrived in Santalune City. They had spent an extra night in the meadow, both finding the area an easy place to relax and spend time training up their team a bit. If Yamaguchi was being honest, he had wanted to say a day longer because he just wasn’t ready to face Santalune Gym. He knew his fears to be unwarranted and Tsukishima called him out several times on his reluctance. He told Yamaguchi he had caught Swirlix so there was nothing to be afraid of. Yamaguchi would nod in agreement but knew his capture of Swirlix was a lucky one if anything. If the cotton-candy-esque Pokemon had not been so drowsy from sleep, Yamaguchi had a feeling he probably would not have won so easily.

As the two entered the city, Yamaguchi allowed his eyes to wander. It was another new place and that meant things he had never seen before. Santalune City was much smaller than Lumiose City and even smaller than Hau'oli City back in Alola. If Yamaguchi were to have called this place anything he would have called it a town, not a city. Despite this, the small town had a very welcoming charm.

As they strolled down the street Yamaguchi’s eye caught a nice large fountain that decorated the center of the town. Water rushed from the top tear of the fountain, to the second tier and then splashed into the pool below. The shimmering water gave off a sense of freshness that helped calm Yamaguchi’s nerves. Popplio would definitely get a kick out of splashing about in the fountain. It was only a moment later that Yamaguchi realized Santalune Gym was right behind the fountain. A moment of dread washed over Yamaguchi but he did his very best not to show it. 

The large building was nothing too out of the ordinary. It looked like any old gym you would see on your journey through any region. Despite all this, the large building loomed over Yamaguchi reminding the trainer of all his worries. An odd ball of pain began to fester in Yamaguchi's stomach as he swore the building grew in size in just the blink of an eye. Yamaguchi hadn’t a clue that Tsukishima was watching him this whole time.

“We should probably go to the Pokemon Center first,” Tsukishima spoke up, causing Yamaguchi to jump ever so slightly.

“What!?” Yamaguchi squawked in shock, his eyes darting from the gym building to his travel companion. His gaze was clouded for a moment as the anxiety he had felt began to subside to just an annoyance in the background of his mind.

“We’ve been traveling for three days so let’s hit the Pokemon Center,” Tsukishima reiterated, his tone holding the slightest hint of annoyance. 

“Oh, right,” Yamaguchi smiled sheepishly. “To the Pokemon Center!” He awkwardly cheered as he walked the opposite way of the gym.

“The Pokemon Center is that way,” Tsukishima flatly pointed out, his finger pointing to the right.

“Right!” Yamaguchi sheepishly chortled, allowing Tsukki to take the lead.

By the time all their Pokemon had been discharged from the center it was already early evening. Tsukishima, having pointed out that the Gym was most likely closed, had decided to stay the night at the Pokemon Center’s hostel. Part of Yamaguchi was flooded with relief but the other part of him just wished for the trip to the gym to just be over. 

The small room they were assigned had two bunk beds. Tsukishima had claimed the top bunk leaving Yamaguchi the bottom. Once all their items had been unpacked and the two settled they had allowed their Pokemon to free roam the large room. Popplio and Bagon had decided to tussle about playfully on the floor. Snivy sat comfortably in Tsukishima’s lap as they both read from a strategy book. Salazzle had decided to make herself comfortable on Yamaguchi’s bed, curling up beside him as he read through a book of recipes. Swirlix, who had turned out to be the sleepiest of them all, had made herself comfortable on the top of their half emptied backpacks.

“Like Pokemon like trainer,” Tsukishima had pointed out the first time Swirlix slept on the most uncomfortable of places.

“What’s that supposed to mean,” Yamaguchi had pouted. 

Tsukishima’s reply was a sassy smile and small shrug. Yamaguchi was well aware of the fact that he could sleep almost anywhere and through anything but did Tsukishima always have to point it out? It wasn’t his fault if he valued sleep.

Yamaguchi’s eyes flicked from his book to where Swirlix napped, remembering the moment. Just seeing the small pink puffball snooze caused Yamaguchi to stifle a yawn. I was way too late in the day for a nap and far too early to sleep. Distracting himself he looked to the two mysterious backpacks set by the bunk bed on the other side of the room. They had been told they’d be rooming with two others and Yamaguchi could not help but wonder who they were.

“I wonder if they are going to come back soon…” Yamaguchi hummed, not bothering to really specify whom he was referring to.

“As long as they are quiet, I don’t really care,” Tsukishima grumbled from the top bunk. He hadn’t been too happy learning they’d have to share the room with two strangers.

“I wonder if they’ve challenged the gym yet,” Yamaguchi carried on thoughtfully. Maybe they’d be able to lend him some pointers.

“What’s the point of wondering,” Tsukishima replied in mild annoyance. “You can ask them when they get here.”

Yamaguchi replied with a thoughtful hum. Knowing Tsukki was done with the mundane conversation he returned to studying his cookbook. He had read up on Swirlix and wanted to try to make his newest team member pokechow she would love. As always, a clam silence graced the room, only the sounds of flipped pages and light snoring filled the air. Despite Yamaguchi’s efforts, he began to fall into a snooze.

“I won my badge first so that make one point for me!”

Yamaguchi practically hit is head on the top bunk as whoever shouted came barrelling into their room. The whole bunk bed shook as Tsukishima also seemed to be taken by surprise. Eyes full of shock and heart beating from the door being slammed open, Yamaguchi looked to see who the intruder was.

“That’s not how it works, you idiot!” Kageyama snapped as he and Hinata wrestled in the for frame. “Gym leaders can only battle one person at a time so this doesn't count!”

“Does too, ya jerk!” Hinata snapped back as he struggled against Kageyama.

“Does not,” Kageyama barked at the exact moment both of them tumbled into the room.

Yamaguchi watched in utter shock as the dramatic episode played out at the room’s entrance. He could here from above a breathy pained “Arceus, no!” from Tsukki. Popplio and Bagon watched from under the bed as Salazzle sat up at full alert next to Yamaguchi. The whole while Swirlix snoozed away on the backpack not taking notice of the scuffle. If he hadn’t been so cought of guard, Yamaguchi probably would have found the situation hilarious. 

It was then that Hinata took notice of the other inhabitants in the room. His eyes brightened with joy as he untangled himself from Kageyama. “Yamaguchi! It’s you!” Hinata greeted, his tone friendly and upbeat.

A not so pleased grunt could be heard from the top of Yamaguchi’s bunk causing Hinata to shoot the top bunk a glare.

“H-Hinata, Kageyama!” Yamaguchi sputtered still in shock. He had not expecting to see his new friends so soon. “Are you two our roommates?” He asked though he already knew the answer.

“We sure are!” Hinata cheered as he leaped further into the room, planting himself comfortably on the foot of Yamaguchi's bed. “Looks like we are rooming together! What a coincidence!” Hinata smiled brightly as he leaned into Yamaguchi a bit too close.

All the while Kageyama brushed himself off and made himself comfortable on the bottom bunk of the bed opposite to Yamaguchi and Tsukishima’s. “So, are you two here for a gym battle, too?” Kageyama gruffly asked, his eyes more on Yamaguchi than Tsukishima. 

It was then that Tsukishima climbed down from his bunk. “I’m going out for a walk,” He grumbled, ignoring Kageyama’s question all together. Both Salazzle and Snivy following after. Kageyama sent Tsukishima a glare the whole time. It was only when the door shut did anyone speak again.

“Sheesh, what’s his problem?” Hinata growled, his eyes fixed on the door. “Did he lose against the gym leader or something?”

“He just needs his space sometimes,” Yamaguchi politely explained, a nervous edge to his voice.

Hinata gave a small shrug as he turned back to Yamaguchi. “Have you and Tsukishima been to the gym yet?” Hinata asked. His tone and demeanor was up beat but its hyper edge was now gone.

“We just arrived here this afternoon and haven’t had a chance,” Yamaguchi replied with a shake of his head. “I take it you two have?”

“We got here last night and went today,” Kageyama confirmed, his sharp eyes now fixed on Yamaguchi and Hinata.

“I got my badge first,” Hinata proudly said as he showed the Bug Badge to Yamaguchi. It was in the shape of a beetle and looked to be made of brass with small green emeralds adorning it’s pincher and wings.

“Was it difficult?” Yamaguchi asked, trying his best to hid his nerves. 

“The gym leader, Viola, did put up a good battle but in the end my team swept her team,” Hinata proudly announced. 

“You barely won,” Kageyama called out, glaring at Hinata. “You’re just lucky Charmander has an advantage over bug type.”

“A win is a win,” Hinata snapped in defence. Kageyama replied with a sneer. 

Yamaguchi could not tell if the two were enemies or friends with the way they argued. He himself would never be able to befriend someone who wanted to argue with him constantly. The mere idea caused his nerves to swell up. 

“So are you two going to battle the gym tomorrow?” Hinata asked in excitement.

“Yeah, that’s the plan,” Yamaguchi reluctantly replied.

“I bet you’re excited! I know I was! I just couldn’t wait!” Hinata rembled on, almost vibrating as he went.

Yamaguchi anxiety about the whole ordeal only grew with each word Hinata spoke. It had taken him a while to calm himself after his mild panic attack today and Hinata’s enthuseasum wasn’t helping in any way.

“Shut up, dumbass, not everyone is as juvenile as you are about gym battles,” Kageyama snapped in annoyance. Yamaguchi could not tell if Kageyama took notice of his anxiety or if it was just a coincidence but he silently thanked him.

Hinata shot Kageyama a look before his eyes settled on Begon and Popplio who had only just come out from under the bed. “Wow, is that a Bagon?!” Hinata exclaimed as he scooped the startled dragon up. “Is it yours!? Is it?” Hinata rapidfire asked as Bagon struggled to be let free. It was only when Bagon sent a small burst of flames did Hinata drop him and Begon ran to hide behind Yamaguchi.

“No, he belongs to Tsukishima,” Yamaguchi calmly explained as he did his best to comfort the shook Bagon.

“Arceus, Hinata, learn some manners,” Kageyama grumbled from his bed.

“What!? No fair! Saltyshima doesn’t deserve such a cool Pokemon!” Hinata pouted as he ignored Kageyama’s unwanted comment.

Yamaguchi chose to ignore the nickname Hinata had just come up with as he laughed nervously. “Tsukki really does catch all the cool Pokemon,” he agreed, his tone holding much more affection than Hinata’s had.

“So, did you catch anything new on your way here?” Hinata asked, his pout less prominent now.

“Actually, I did catch a Swirlix,” Yamaguchi shily admitted. His eyes wandered over to where his Swirlix still lay sleeping on the backpacks.

Hinata followed his gaze before releasing an excited gasp. “I’ve never seen a Swirlix in person!” Hinata cheered, leaping from the bed and over to the sleeping Pokemon. Without missing a beat he scooped the snoozing Swirlix up into his arms.

“H-Hinata!” Yamaguchi found himself stuttering. Swirlix was still a new Pokemon so he hadn’t a clue how she would react to such an awakening.

“Oh she is so soft! Like a cloud or cotton candy!” Hinata rambled on as he rubbed his cheek against Swirlix’s. Buy this point Swirlix was more than awake. Her confused gaze wandered the room but she didn’t seem too bothered by the affection. To Yamaguchi’s shock she looked to be falling back to sleep.

“Idiot! You don’t grab other people’s Pokemon like that,” Kageyama scolded.

“Shut up! Swirlix likes it,” Hinata retorted sharply, snuggling Swirlix with a little more aggression to prove his point. Swirlix didn’t seem to mind.

“He is right, Hinata,” Yamaguchi cut in, his tone much softer. “It can be dangerous and startling to the Pokemon if you just pick them up suddenly like that.”

Hinata pouted for a moment before handing Swirlix over to Yamaguchi. “Yeah, I guess you are right,” Hinata sighed as Swirlix curled up next to Bagon.

“That’s what I said,” Kageyama grumbled.

“Well maybe if you were a bit nicer, like Yama, people would listen to you,” Hinata snapped, pointing to Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi felt the need to hide. 

“What? Do you need to be coddled? You’re not a baby!” Kageyama sneered. 

“Being nice to someone doesn’t mean you’re coddling them, right Yama?” Hinata snapped, looking to Yamaguchi for support.

Yamaguchi did not want to be a part of the argument and found himself smiling nervously as he released a reluctant “Well…” 

“Don’t drag him into this,” Kageyama said with a frown.

“You’re the one who started it,” Hinata shouted, stomping his foot to emphasize his anger. His rough action caused both Tsukishima’s and Yamaguchi’s bags to topple over and some of the content to spill out.

“Now look what you’ve done,” Kageyama grumbled, with a deep frown.

“It’s only because you antagonize me!” Hinata snapped before looking at the spilled content. “Sorry, Yama,” he then apologized as he bent down to clean up the mess.

“No, it’s okay. We should have closed our bags properly,” Yamaguchi waved him off, shuffling over and helping Hinata clean up with mess. Only a few items had fallen out so no harm was done. It was when Hinata let loose a sharp gasp that Yamaguchi gave a small jump.

“Wow, is this a Luxury Ball?” Hinata gasped as he pulled the black and gold ball from Yamaguchi’s pack.

A moment of pure paralyzing panic spread through Yamaguchi’s limbs upon sight of the ball.

“Is this your’s, Yama?” Hinata gasped as he studied the beautiful ball. “It looks like you’ve caught something in it? What’s in it?”

“It’s nothing!!” Yamaguchi snapped as he scooped the ball out of Hinata’s hands. Kageyama and Hinata looked to him in mild shock. Yamaguchi looked to the two in embarrassment for the outburst.

“Is everything okay, Yama?” Hinata asked in worry. 

Yamaguchi’s nervously fiddled with the ball. It did indeed hold a pokemon. It was his first ever caught pokemon from years ago but he was nowhere near ready to face it again.

Before anymore could be said, the door to the room swung open. Yamaguchi looked up to find a slightly less grouchy Tsukki. With Hinata and Kageyama’s attention on the door, Yamaguchi quietly slipped the Luxury Ball back into his pack.

“Look who I found,” Tsukishima flatly anounded before striding into the room. Following him was a very shy Yachi.

“Hey everyone,” Yachi greeted mekly. 

“Yachi!” Yamaguchi found himself smiling in greeting. He had almost forgotten that Yachi had been traveling with Hinata and Kageyama.

“Hey, Yamaguchi. Long time no see,” Yachi sweetly replied. “I was waiting for you two by the entrance,” she then stated looking to Hinata and Kageyama.

“Oh, right, we forgot!” Hinata sheepishly admitted.

“Dumbass here got caught up gloating about his gym badge,” Kageyama grumbled.

“You also forgot, too,” Hinata accused.

“I don’t know how you put up with those two ideos,” Tsukishima sighed, his tone flat.

Yachi replied with a sheepish shrugged. She also hadn’t a clue how she made it this far without dying of stress. “We are going to get dinner now if you two want to join us?” Yachi offered, not wanting to answer the prior question. 

“Sure, why not,” Yamaguchi replied only to find Tsukishima frown in mild disapproval. He could not help but internally apologize.

Dinner had been quite the spectacle. While Yamaguchi, Tsukishima and Yachi had a civil conversation, Hinata and Kageyama seemed to be having some sort of eating contest. Just the sight of the two scarfing down their dinner made Yamaguchi queasy.

“Do they always eat like barbarians?” Tsukishima grumbled as he sent the odd duo a disapproving glance. 

“Only sometimes,” Yachi replied though her tone seemed to hint that it most likely happened more often than not.

Dinner had passed just as fast and before they knew it the sun way down and they had all congregated back in the room. Yamaguchi had gotten right to work on feeding their Pokemon. Yachi, Hinata and even Kageyama had shown with pure awe at finding out Yamaguchi had hand crafted all the Pokemon chow for Tsukishima and himself. 

“You mean to tell me you made this Pokechow?” Hinata gasped as he examined one of the pieces of star shaped Pokefood.

“I was wondering why they were all shaped like stars. I had never seen that in store before,” Yachi added, her tone also holding a fair amount of amazement.

“Yeah, my mom taught me how to make Pokechow as a kid,” Yamaguchi shily admitted. He was never good at taking compliments. 

“Wow, I wish I had learned how to make it,” Yachi hummed, her tone holding a surprising amount of envy. “Homemade food is always better for the Pokemon and as a future showcase contestant, making my own chow would probably put me at an advantage,” she carried on as she examined a piece of the food.

“Well, I can show you how to make some if you want,” Yamaguchi offered. “It’s really not that hard.”

“What? That would be great,” Yachi answered almost too quickly, startling Yamaguchi.

“I want to learn how to make it, too,” Hinata cut in, getting up into Yamaguchi’s bubble.

“No way! You’ll probably burn the place down,” Tsukishima sneered from the bed. Yamaguchi did his best to stifle a laugh.

“What was that, four eyes,” Hinata snapped. His insult didn’t seem to bother Tsukishima.

“I can show all of you if you want,” Yamaguchi quickly offered before an argument broke out.

“You're really nice, Yamaguchi,” Hinata sweetly cheered. “Much nicer than some people,” he than added in a deeper tone, his eyes darting from Tsukishima to Kageyama. Tsukishima replied with a disinterested shrug while Kageyama scowled at Hinata.

“Maybe you can show us tomorrow after your gym battle,” Yachi suggested hopefully.

“Right! You have a gym battle tomorrow!” Hinata added in excitement.

“I almost forgot,” Yamaguchi lied, doing his best to put on an excited front. Fortunately for him, Hinata was too dense to pick up on anything but Yachi seemed to see right through him.

“Gym battles can be so stressful and scary,” Yachi sighed as if she was trying to relate to Yamaguchi’s unspoken nerves. “I can never think fast enough to command my pokemon and before I know it, they have all fainted,” she carried on as if the past haunted her in a very similar way it hunted Yamaguchi.

“Yeah, I can sometimes stumble over my commands, too,” Yamaguchi unintentionally admitted aloud. Upon realizing this he felt his cheeks go bright red with embarrassment though no one seemed put off by it.

“I never get nervous when battling. I just comand my pokemon and they always pull through,” Hinata enthusiastically added. He didn’t seem to be picking up on the melancholy mood Yamaguchi and Yachi were putting out.

“Shut up, dumbass. No one asked you,” Kageyama growled from the bottom bunk of is and Hinata’s bed.

“Stay out of our conversation!” Hinata squawk back.

“The conversation is open to everyone in the room,” Kageyama retorted sharply.

“Not if you are going to be a grump about it,” Hinata retorted, now up in Kageyama’s space.

“Oh Arceus, not again,” Tsukishima sighed from the top if his and Yamaguchi’s bunk. Yamaguchi could not help but release a small nervous laugh at how put off Tsukishima was.

“There is no need to worry about tomorrow, Yamaguchi,” Yachi cut in, ignoring the squabble going on in the room. “I’m sure you and your pokemon are going to do fine.” Her smile, though reassuring, did not ease the burning feeling of anxiety at the pit of Yamaguchi’s stomach.

“Right,” Yamaguchi half heartedly agreed. He had a feeling his face was probably paler than it had been before. “It will be fine.”

Yachi smile once more. She seemed unsure of what else to say to Yamaguchi and turned her attention to the two squabbling trainers. Yamaguchi, still phased from the anxiety he felt building, sat himself on his bed as he blakely watched Yachi’s failed attempts to break up Hinata and Kageyama.

Despite what everyone told him, Yamaguchi did not feel at all ready for the gym battle. He had never participated in one and hadn’t a clue what to expect. If they were anything like any other battle, it will probably end in his defeat. The idea of losing so quickly into this journey frightened Yamaguchi. This journey was meant to be different from before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhh Gosh! Here we go! Are you all read for it!? Do you believe in Yamaguchi? Will he be able to face the gym and win? What about Tsukki? Will he pull through as well? Stay tuned to find out :D
> 
> Hey all! So I got chapter 7 out on time! Yessss! I will most likely get chapter 8 out next week no problem! 
> 
> As always, thank you all so much for the kind reviews and comments as well as the follows, bookmarks and kudos. I love hearing from my readers. It give me so much drive to write more and make sure this is getting out one time. 
> 
> Don’t be afraid to drop a comments and tell me how you think it is going! I have so much planned for this series! We ain't even started. I am also genuinely interested in knowing how all of you would picture our boys in a Pokemon AU so do share.
> 
> Well, that’s all for now! See you all next chapter!


	8. Santalune Gym: Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Here it is! Chapter 8!!!! I hope you are ready for the first Gym battle time and a small sample of the past! This is going to be a good old two parter. We finally get to see if our dear old Yama really is as horrible a battler as he makes himself out to be. Hopefully he pulls through and makes us all proud. Go Yama, go!!!
> 
> I’d like to think my beta reader heichousheadphones (https://heichousheadphones.tumblr.com/) for taking time from their busy day to help me with my horrible grammar and for also helping me go through the thinking process while writing this little fic.
> 
> Let’s go! Chapter 8!!!!

Yamaguchi was terrified. In all his 11 years of being on this earth he had never wandered so far into the Vast Poni Canyon. He had milled around the entrance to the large intimidating canyon with his mother once or twice but never alone. He had heard many a story of the terribly strong Pokemon that filled the canyon. Only those who have passed many island trials were allowed to venture into the depth of the canyon yet here he and Tsukki were.

“T-Tsukki, maybe we should turn back,” Yamaguchi sputtered as he followed after his much braver friend.

“You can turn back if you want to,” Tsukishima cooly replied as he glanced over his shoulder at his shooken friend.

Yamaguchi had considered doing so several times but each time realized there was no way he would be able to make it back to his house boat on his own. What if he were to get even more lost? What if a wild Pokemon were to attack him? What if a wild Pokemon were too attack Tsukki!? Splitting up would be far too risky.

“Tsukki, you know I can’t do that,” Yamaguchi whined, half hoping his moaning would grate enough on Tsukki to get him to give up. “I’d never be able to make it back alone.”

“You didn’t have to follow me to begin with,” Tsukishima cooly pointed out. His resolve didn’t seem to waver, not even in the slightest. 

Yamaguchi sent a frustrated glance towards his best friend. If Tsukki noticed it, he didn’t react. Yamaguchi loved his best friend with all his heart but this thing he had with his older brother was sometimes just plain ridiculous. Upon hearing Akiteru’s return for a short visit, Tsukki had insisted they go out and catch a strong Pokemon from Poni Canyon. Tsukki always got this way when it came to his older brother. 

A tense silence hung between the two. The large canyon walls reached high into the sky making Yamaguchi feel like he was straight up trapped. The bushes that lined the walls didn’t help with his nerves for every time the wind blew and they moved, Yamaguchi would release a very lousy squeak. As the two passed under a large impressive naturally occurring rock archway, the howl of a Lycanroc filled the air.

“Tsukki!” Yamaguchi cried out in fear as he latched onto his friend’s arm.

Tsukishima turned the direction to where the howl had come from. A stubborn determination set heavy in his eyes as he scanned the tall grass. Yamaguchi felt his stomach do a flip. He hoped Tsukki wasn’t about to do something reckless.

“Wait here, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima instructed cooly as he made his way to the tall grass.

“Tsukki, no!” Yamaguchi hissed in a mad panic.

“I’m just going to check it out,” Tsukishima snapped, his gaze much more stern than Yamaguchi had ever seen. “Now be quiet and wait here,” Tsukishima’s tone was final and held no room for argument. 

Slightly taken back by Tsukki’s behaviour, Yamaguchi clamped his lips shut. He watched in utter panic as Tsukki disappeared into the tall wild grass. He wished to call out to his friend but his voice got lost somewhere in his throat. A small shiver ran down his spine as he leaned against the canyon’s wall.

All sorts of horrible scenarios rapid fire flashed through Yamaguchi’s mind. What if Tsukki got lost and never came back? What if Tsukki got hurt? What if Tsukki wasn’t able to take on that Lycanroc? What if it hurt Tsukki?! It would surely come for him next! A small muffled whimper fought it’s way past Yamaguchi’s tight throat. 

Slumping to the floor, Yamaguchi did his best to keep it together. He wasn’t going to cry. He was 11 years old now. He had spent the past year traveling all over the Alolan Islands with Tsukki. He could last being alone in the Vast Poni Canyon for a few minutes.

Despite his best to calm his nerves, Yamaguchi did not feel in the least bit better. With the sun beginning to set, he and Tsukki had to head back soon or they’d be stuck in the canyon in the dark. If he didn’t make it back to his house boat by curfew his mother would surely panic. What if she got so mad she forbade him from ever seeing Tsukki again? The idea of never being able to see Tsukki terrified Yamaguchi. Tsukki was not just the only friend he had but his best friend in the whole wide world. 

Yamaguchi once again did his best to calm himself down. Getting worked up would not help any. That's what his grandmother always told him when something spooked him in the night. This wasn’t any different. Poni Canyon probably wasn’t as dangerous as people say it is. In hopes to distract himself, Yamaguchi plunged his hand into his pocket. With any luck he’d have a snack or something he could focus his attention on.

He fiddled his fingers around for only a moment as he pulled out his pocket’s only content. He produced a small black pokeball with gold and red decorating it. It was the luxury ball he had won in a raffle two days ago. He had almost forgotten about it. Pushing the button of the ball, it grew to it’s full Pokeball size. Yamaguchi studied the black pokeball as its gorgeous red and golden accents glittered under the setting sun. 

A sense of wonder only slightly replaced his fear as he examined the ball. Tsukki had told him these balls were the most expensive of all Pokeball and Pokemon caught in luxury balls were said to live happier lives. Both Tsukki and his mother had prompted him to use the ball but Yamaguchi could not bring himself to do it. He had the sinking feeling that whatever he tried to catch in it would just escape and leave the ball void.

It was as this passed through his mind that Yamaguchi hear it. It sounded like a growl. With his knees shaky, Yamaguchi stumbled to his feet. His eyes scanned the area. Perhaps it had just been his imagination. To his dismay the growl sounded once more.

“T-T-Tsukki?” Yamaguchi sputtered weakly. 

He looked in the direction of the growl. It was opposite from where Tsukki had disappeared into the grass. The growl sounded once more, this time much closer.

“Tsukki, i-is th-that y-y-you?” Yamaguchi’s voice wavered beyond understanding as he spoke. His body shook with fear as his back pressed firmly against the rock wall.

With another loud growl the hidden Pokemon stumbled out of the grass into the small walking path. Yamaguchi muffled a small cry as he came eyes to eye with a very angry Jangmo-o. The small silver plated dragon looked angry beyond all belief as it limped his way. Yamaguchi, still to shocked by the sudden encounter did not take notice of the pokemon’s heavy limp.

“H-Hello there, l-little guy,” Yamaguchi sputtered as the angry dragon approached him, it’s teeth bared. “L-Little g-girl?” He almost comically corrected himself. Jangmo-o growled once more.

A moment passed between the young trainer and Pokemon. Both waiting for the other to make the first move. Yamaguchi’s whole body went numb as the quadrupedal dragon sized him up. It didn’t seem at all impressed with what it saw.

A snapping branch in the distance sounded off and echoed down the canyon walls. Almost like a switch flucking on, the angry Jangmo-o lunged towards Yamaguchi, it’s teeth and claws fully bearded. Yamaguchi released a loud piercing scream that echoed throughout the whole of Vast Poni Canyon. Almost on instinct, Yamaguchi threw the luxury ball at the charging Pokemon. Just a Jangmo-o was about to tackle Yamaguchi, the glittering black ball hit it smack between the eyes. With a small click the red light of the luxury ball swallowed Jangmo-o up. 

The ball closed tight and landed on the ground just in front of Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi watched in utter shock as the ball wiggled and rolled. His eyes fixed on the small button that flashed from white to red as he prayed for the catch to take effect. With a loud click, the ball stopped moving signifying that Jangmo-o had lost.

Yamaguchi’s body went numb as he slumped to the floor. He hesitated for a moment, his eyes still on the luxury ball. Had he really just caught a Jangmo-o? This was his first catch ever. Part of Yamaguchi felt like he should be celebrating his first ever successful catch but the fear from the moment still hung heavy in his mind. With still shaking hands he scooped the luxury ball up.

“Yamaguchi!” Tsukishima called in worry as he came rushing out of the tall grass. His amber eyes held nothing but concern as he found his friend slumped on the ground. “I heard you scream-”

“Tsukki,” Yamaguchi cut in before his friend could finish. His voice still lost from the attack, he held the ball up to his friend.

Tsukishima’s worry was now replaced with confusion as he looked to the ball. He recognised it as the one Yamaguchi had won only days ago. It only took him a second to realize that perhaps Yamaguchi had caught something in his absence. He looked to his friend in shock. What had he missed?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Yamaguchi was by no means ready for this gym battle. As he sat in the spectator bleachers between Kageyama and Yachi, he did his best not to shake from his nerves. He wished with all his heart that Yachi, Kageyama and Hinata hadn’t come to watch. He had hoped they’d leave in the morning to carry on with their journey. It was just his luck that both Hinata and Kageyama insisted on watching Tsukishima and himself battle. Both trainers seemed far too excited to see others battle a gym.

“Tsukishima thinks he is so cool but Viola and her bug types are totally going to wipe that smug look off his face,” Hinata comments from the other side of Yachi.

“With the way he won against you, Tsukishima probably isn’t going to have any problems against Viola,” Kageyama retorted from beside Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi stiffened, wanting nothing more than for the two to shut up. Their constant bickering did not help his nerves. He cursed himself for not being more assertive and telling the two off.

“Hey, you two promised no bickering, remember?” Yachi scolded in Yamaguchi’s stead.

Both Hinata and Kageyama looked to Yachi as if they were about to burst. Both wanting nothing more than to spit another insult at the other but did well to retain the urge. Yamaguchi silently thanked Yachi for intervening so quickly before returning his attention to the field.

Tsukishima stood on the far right of the field as he waited for Viola to make her entrance. They had decided that he would go before Yamaguchi so that Yamaguchi could get a good understanding of the type of gym Viola ran. Yamaguchi felt a wave of mild envy at how calmly and cooly Tsukki stood on the field. He wished for nothing more than to be as calm as Tsukki was in the face of an important battle.

The gym was very unique and if Yamaguchi wasn’t so terrified he’d even call it beautiful. The roof of the building was made of glass making the gym look more like a greenhouse than a gym. The battlefield itself was made of dirt but surrounding it were large bushy plants and huge reaching trees that almost touched the glass roof. Yamaguchi had been impressed by the decor and wish he had come under circumstances where he could enjoy it. 

It wasn’t long when a large door on the far side of the gym swung open. A confident woman with green eyes and shoulder length blond hair entered and approached the battlefield. She smiled confidently as she sized up Tsukishima.

“Thats Viola,” Yamaguchi heard Hinata whisper.

“I take it you’re Tsukishima Kei?” Viola asked her tone much softer than Yamaguchi expected.

Tsukishima silently nodded in reply. He didn’t hold a hint of fear or worry.

“I heard you came all the way from Alola to join the Kalos League,” Viola smiled attempting to engage with the younger trainer. 

Tsukishima gave another small nod and silent “Yes, that is correct.” 

“Damn, is he always this rude?” Yamaguchi heard Hinata grumble.

“I am Viola, the Santalune Gym leader,” Viola introduced.

“I expected as much,” Tsukishima replied, his tone neutral.

Tsukishima’s bluntness didn’t seem to bother Viola for she merely laughed at his remark. “I take it you’re the no funny business type then?” she said with a playful wink.

Both Hinata and Kageyama muffled their giggles at Tsukishima’s expense. Tsukishima looked to the stands shooting daggers at the two. Yamaguchi could not help but send him a sorry smile as he made no effort to stop the two.

“I’m just focused,” Tsukishima replied, doing his best to ignore the peanut gallery in the stands

“Right then, shall we get started?” Viola replied, seemingly understanding what Tsukishima wanted. 

With that the referee cleared his throat, winning everyone's attention. 

“This battle is an official gym battle between Tsukishima Kei of Poni Island and Viola the Santalune Gym Leader,” the referee began. “This is a three on three battle. The challenger is allowed to switch out his three Pokemon at any point in the battle but the gym leader may not. Whoever is left with a Pokemon able to battle is the winner. The first to have all three Pokemon knocked out and unable to battle will be the loser. You may now start your battle.”

“Bagon, let’s go!” Tsukishima cooly called.

“Surskit, make me proud,” Viola shouted in unison with Tsukishima.

Yamaguchi watched in a mix of awe and fear as Bagon and Surskit sized each other up. The small blue spider like pokemon looked more cute than intimidating but Yamaguchi knew better than to judge a pokemon by it’s cover.

“Surskit, use bubble!” Viola commanded with confidence. 

Surskit was very fast and Yamaguchi would have missed the attack if he blinked. Despite this Bagon was just barely able to dodge the bubble attack.

“Bagon, use bite,” Tsukishima commanded, his tone level and cool. Bagon jumped into action just barely landing a bite on the fast moving Surskit.

“Damn him for being so calm and collected,” Hinata groaned from beside Yachi. Yamaguchi silently agreed, wishing nothing more than to be as cool as his best friend.

The battle between Bagon and Surskit was fast and action packed. If one were to look away for a moment they’d miss a well executed move. Despite Surskit’s intense speed, Bagon was able to hold his own. Before long Bagon had been announced victorious.

The next Pokemon Viola called out was a gorgeous pink Vivillon. The butterfly’s pink wing shown beautifly under the bright late morning sun. Yamaguchi could not help but look on in amazement at its beauty as the second round commenced. Tsukishima had chosen to carry on with Bagon.

“This is where things got tough,” Hinata sighed in frustration. 

“Her Vivillon is a tough Pokemon to beat,” Kageyama agreed. 

The battle between Vivillon and Bagon was intense. Vivillon being able to fly up high made it hard for Bagon to land a blow but Tsukishima was the most clever trainer Yamaguchi knew. Using Surskit’s leftover sticky web, Bagon and Tsukishima were able to capture the butterfly and land the finishing blow. Yamaguchi could not help but envy how Tsukki so easily thought on his feet.

“You’re a pretty strong battler,” Viola commented with a small frustrated smile. “It’s been a while since someone has been able to take out both my Surskit and Vivillon with one Pokemon,” as she spoke she held her last Pokemon’s pokeball.

Tsukishima gave a small shrug in repliance to her compliment as he called back his exhausted Bagon. “You did a great job,” he cooly praised as he attached Bagon to his belt and selected his next ball.

“This last one isn’t going to be so easy to beat,” Viola smiled, her eye were full of a mix of determination and excitement. “Masquerain, let show this kid how strong we really are,” she called as she tossed the ball high. Out flew a beautiful white moth like pokemon with large magnificent orange and red feelers, that reminded Yamaguchi of angry eyeballs.

“Salazzle, let end this,” Tsukishima commanded as he called out his next Pokemon.

Salazzle appeared on the field, more than ready for a battle. She gave a low hiss as she sized up Masquerain. She didn’t seem in the least bit worried.

“It’s my first time seeing an Alolan Pokemon like this,” Viola commented, her tone and posture still pumped with excitement. “Masquerain use Air Slasher!”

Masquerain gave as small cry before batting it’s wings and executing the attack. Salazzle easily dodged. She looked up with as hiss at Masquerain as if she were mocking her opponent's miss. 

“Use swagger, Salazzle,” Tsukishima calmly instructed. 

Salazzle, with a very satisfied hiss, puffed herself up to look as big, tough, and condescending as possible. The attacked seemed to work for Masquerain got so upset it became terribly confused.

“Masquerain, no!” Viola cried as Masquerain wandered the battle field in uttar angry confusion.

Yamaguchi always enjoyed watching Salazzle battle. She was such an animated Pokemon on the field and so strong. There was something about her that pumped Yamaguchi up and helped take the edge off his nerve. Perhaps it was how sweet she always was to him. Or it was how much pleasure she got out of tormenting her opponent. Whatever it was, Yamaguchi loved to see her battle.

It wasn’t long before Salazzle landed the finishing blow on Masquerain. Both Hinata and Kageyama’s gasps of surprised filled the gym as the referee announced that “Masquerain is unable to battle. Tsukishima is the winner.”

“That was even faster than you, Kageyama,” Hinata gasped in amazement.

“Salazzle is a strong Pokemon,” Kageyama sourly ademited. 

Yamaguchi was so proud of his best friend. He could not help but smile as Viola congratulated him and handed him the bug badge. It was only after Tsukishima left the field did dred fill Yamaguchi’s gut once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well there ya go! Tsukki is a pretty cool cucumber. Hopefully his amazing battle skills will be able to inspire Yamaguchi to reach deep within and pull through! Are you guys ready for this!? The moment of truth! Stay tuned for the next chapter to see if this is going to be a two for one win!
> 
> Hey all! I am going to be crazy busy the next 2 weekends after this one so expect chapter 9 to be up early. I will try to get it up between this weekend and Thursday depending on the time I have. I won’t leave you guys hanging for two weeks with this split chapter. I’m a mean person but I’m not that mean.
> 
> As always, thank you all for the support! I love to read all the comments and reviews so please keep them coming! Let me know your thoughts and such. I mean it. It gives me fule to keep typing. 
> 
> Well, that is all for now. See you next chapter!


	9. Santalune Gym: Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! Chapter 9! I have decided to post it a bit on the early side since I do now know how the rest of my week is going to pan out! I wanted to make sure part two got out before I went on my trip. I hope you are all ready to see how Yama deals with his first gym battler. Do you think he is going to walk away a champion or a cry baby loser? There is only one way to find out!
> 
> I’d like to think my beta reader heichousheadphones (https://heichousheadphones.tumblr.com/) for taking time from their busy day to help me with my horrible grammar and for also helping me go through the thinking process while writing this little fic.
> 
> Chapter 9, I choose you!

“It’s your turn now, Yama!” Hinata cheered as he gave Yamaguchi a thumbs up.

Yamaguchi went stiff as a board as he did his best to hide his fear behind a wavering smile. He turned in Hinata’s general direction as his face ached from the fake smile. “R-r-right,” he stuttered as he earned a concerned look from Yachi and a large grin from Hinata.

“Are you okay, Yamaguchi?” Yachi asked tentatively. 

“Just fine,” Yamaguchi replied far too quickly. Yachi shot him one last unsure look as she gave a small nod.

“Viola isn’t terribly difficult,” Kageyama comments from the other side of Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi turned to see Kageyama’s eyes fixed on the field. He couldn’t make out whether he was saying this in comfort or if he was trying to rationalize Tsukki’s fast defeat of the gym.

“W-Well I better be going,” Yamaguchi stammered as he shakily stood up. He had to get it together or he wouldn’t be able to so much as call out a single pokemon. 

“Good luck, Yama,” Hinata cheered as Yamaguchi stiffly made his way out of the bleachers. 

“We’ll be cheering for you!” Yachi sweetly called after.

Once off the bleachers Yamaguchi made his way down the hall that led to the field. The world around him seemed to go fuzzy as his anxiety grew. This was just a battle. A simple ordinary battle. No big deal if he lost. He could just come back and try again. Yamaguchi told himself over and over in a futile attempt to calm himself down.

Yamaguchi was so lost in his worry that he didn’t even react when he bumped head first into Tsukki. Tsukki released a small annoyed grunt upon the collision but his annoyance seemed to evaporate upon seeing his best friend. Yamaguchi, face pale and body shaking, looked up with a small “Sorry…” It was almost as if he didn’t even realize it was Tsukki he was addressing.

“Yamaguchi…” Tsukishima spoke, his tone sterner than usual. “Calm down before you kill yourself,” he carried on, his tone a bit softer but by no means nurturing.

“T-Tsukki!” Yamaguchi cried in mild panic upon realizing who it was talking with him. “Tsukki, I can’t…” he started before coming to his senses. 

“Viola is nice, so calm down,” Tsukishima cut in sternly. “Don’t forget to breathe.”

Yamaguchi looked deep into Tsukishima’s eye knowing his friend was doing his best to help. He breathed deeply through his nose and exhaled through his mouth. He repeated this a few times more and with each exhale his stress subsided greatly. Before long, his nerves were more of a lingering annoyance than anything.

“Thanks Tsukki,” Yamaguchi sighed with a thankful smile once he felt his heart return to a normal pace.

“Just go out there and do what you can,” Tsukishima flatly replied. “And if things don’t go accordingly we can always come back. It’s not a big deal.”

“Right,” Yamaguchi replied with a bit of reluctance. Isn’t this the part where your friend is supposed to assure you that you will win for sure? Yamaguchi new better than to expect that from Tsukki. He was far too much of a realist for empty praise.

“I will be up in the bleachers,” Tsukishima said before turning on his heels. “See you after the battle.”

“Thanks, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi called after as Tsukishima headed in the opposite direction. “And congratulations on the win!” he added, feeling bad to have not said so earlier. 

Tsukishima replied with a wave of his hand but did not bother looking back before turning the corner to the bleachers.

Yamaguchi watched until Tsukki was out of sight. His eyes lingered on the corner where Tsukki had just turned before he breathed deeply through his nose and exhaled through his mouth once more. Tsukki was right. He just need to do his best and if it wasn’t enough than he would just have to try again. With that thought in mind, he turned and header towards the battlefield. 

Yamaguchi must have taken longer than he had realized for when he had entered onto the field Hinata called out to him with a very converened “Is everything okay?” Yamaguchi replied with a smile and a nod, not feeling like yelling. 

Yamaguchi made his way to the challenger’s spot on the field. It had been years since he had battled on an official field. Standing on the field with the lush green trees and shrubs lining it he could not help but feel another wave of dread. He knew he was not ready for this battle but his pride would not let him turn away now. He could not avoid battles forever.

 

“So, you must be Yamaguchi Tadashi. Also, from Alola?” Viola questioned with a large friendly smile. Perhaps she could sense Yamaguchi’s reluctance for she spoke much softer with him than she had with Tsukki.

“Y-yes!” Yamaguchi replied quite stiffly.

“Well, I am looking forward to another battle against an Alolan trainer,” Viola said with a laugh, obviously wanting to help ease Yamaguchi's nerves. “Must be my lucky day.”

Despite Viola’s efforts Yamaguchi did not feel any better about the battle. He smiles nonetheless and gave a very strained laugh of agreeance. This seemed to be enough for the gym lester for she smiled in reply.

“Shall we get this battle underway then?” Viola asked as she gave a nod to the referee. Yamaguchi nodded in agreement, far too scared to open his mouth in fear of vomiting.

“This battle is an official gym battle between Yamaguchi Tadashi of Poni Island and Viola the Santalune Gym Leader,” the referee began just like he had with Tsukishima’s battle. “This is a three on three battle. The challenger is allowed to switch out his three Pokemon at any point in the battle but the gym leader may not. Whoever is left with a Pokemon able to battle is the winner. The first to have all three Pokemon knocked out and unable to battle will be the loser. You may now start your battle.”

“Surskit, come on out,” Viola called as a Surskit, different from the one before, lept from it’s ball. Yamaguchi took notice of how this Surskit didn’t seem to be as gunhoe as the last Surskit Tsukishima had faced.

“Swirlix, I choose you!” Yamaguchi stiffly commanded. Swirlix leapt onto the stage, looking mildly sleepy. This wasn’t going too well for Yamaguchi and he knew it.

“Surskit, use bubble,” Viola commanded much faster than Yamaguchi was expecting.

“Swirlix, look out!” Yamaguchi did his best to warn but to no avail Swirlix took a direct hit. The poor cotton candy Pokemon cried as the bubbles burst all around. Yamaguchi did his best to keep what little cool he had intact. “Swirlix, Fairy Wind!” he commanded in a shaky voice.

Swirlix gave a muffled cry before deploying the attack. The wind blew the bubbles back and landed a good hit on Surskit.

Surskit didn’t seem in the least bit phased by the hit, causing Yamaguchi’s stomach to drop. Before Yamaguchi could think of his next move he heard Viola call out “Sticky Web!” and to Yamaguchi’s horror, Swirlix was covered from head to toe in sticky web.

“Swirlix! Fairy Wind, one more time!” Yamaguchi desperately tried but this time the web stuck tight making it almost impossible for Swirlix to move. Yamaguchi felt his stomach sink as his chest became heavy.

“Surskit, quick attack,” Viola commanded and before Yamaguchi could so much as blink the attack landed sending Swirlix flying. 

With a loud thud Swirlix landed not too far from where Yamaguchi stood. Yamaguchi didn’t need to look to know Swirlix had indeed fainted. As the Referee called out “Swirlix is unable to battle,” Yamaguchi called her back to her ball.

“You can do it, Yamaguchi!” 

“Don’t give up, Yama!”

Yamaguchi heard both Yachi and Hinata cheer for him from the stands but his ever growing panic almost drowned out their encouraging calls. He could feel panic coming back but did his best to push it aside. That was just one Pokemon and his weakest. The battle wasn’t over yet.

Doing his best not to break down he pulled Popplio’s ball from his belt. Popplio was his most reliable Pokemon on his team. He believed in her.

“Popplio, go!” Yamaguchi called as Popplio came forward from the ball. She barked with joy as she did a few flips.

“Ah I see we have as performer on our hands,” Viola joked, enjoying the show.

“P-Popplio, focus,” Yamaguchi scolded, thought his tone was far too gentle. Popplio gave a sheepish bark before facing Surskit.

“Yes, I like the look in her eyes,” Viola complimented. “Surskit, use Sticky Web!”

As quick as light Surskit shot sticky web towards Popplio. This time Yamaguchi was more ready.

“Water gun, Popplio!” Yamaguchi shouted just in time for Popplio to used water gun to deflect the web. He heard both Yachi and Hinata give excited woops. 

“Quick attack, Surskit!” Vioa called fast than Yamaguchi could think.

“Water gun!” Yamaguchi shouted the first thing that came to mind.

Yamaguchi watched in horror as Surskit dodged the water gun and landed a direct hit. Popplio gave a small cry as she was knocked back.

“One more time, Surskit, quick attack!” Viola whooped from her side of the field.

“Popplio!” Yamaguchi shouted in horror as Surskit landed another hit. This always happened. The battle always got away from him and he would lose focus on what was going on. Panic began to blind Yamaguchi.

“Finish her off, Surskit, ice beam!” Viola cried.

Yamaguchi watch in horror as a beam of light struck his struggling popplio. “Popplio, no!” Yamaguchi cried in in horror as ice swallowed up Popplio. 

Yamaguchi’s tried not to cry as the referee shouted “Popplio us unable to battle.”

Yamaguchi’s whole body went numb as he looked on at his frozen Popplio. Viola may not have realized it but she had already beaten him. Popplio was his only real hope. Drowning in his own panic, he didn’t make a move to call Popplio back.

“Don’t give up, Yama!” Hinata called from the bleachers.

“Are you going to call her back?” Viola politely asked.

The two voices seemed to shake Yamaguchi enough for him to call Popplio back into her ball. “Sorry, Popplio,” he heard himself unconsciously mumble before replacing Popplio and pulling his final ball from his belt.

It was his luxury ball. The very ball he had used to catch Jangmo-o all those years ago. He only every called her out to feed her and she almost always demanded to go back into the ball immediately after eating. The mere idea of calling her out to battle sent Yamaguchi into another type of panic. One you often felt when facing someone you know hated you.

“Wow, it’s his luxury ball!” Hinata’s voice echoed through the gym. 

Yamaguchi looked from the ball up to Viola who looked at him expectantly. He then looked to the bleachers to find Hinata hanging over the rail in excitement while Yachi begged for him to sit back down. Beside her sat an equally interested Kageyama who looked as if he was about to explode from interest. A moment later he saw Tsukki, who was sitting several seats above the others. His amber eyes were fixed on Yamaguchi as if beckoning him to not give up. Yamaguchi gave a small nod as he swallowed his fear.

“Jangmo-o, come on out!” Yamaguchi called as he tossed the glittering luxury ball high into the air.

“Wow! Jangmo-o! So cool!” Hinata gasped, almost falling from the bleachers.

Jangmo-o lept from the ball none too interested in what was going on. Her red eyes fixed on Viola and Surskit for only a moment. She didn't seem bothered by them in the least. Jangmo-o then glanced back at Yamaguchi causing the trainer to unintentionally flinch. She gave a small snort of unacceptance upon seeing him.

“J-Jangmo-o…” Yamaguchi sputtered as he did his best not the feel intimidated by the dragon. Jangmo-o gave an unsatisfied snort as her trainer called her name.

“Surskit, quick attack!” Viola commanded.

Without being prompted Jangmo-o dodged the attack. 

“Good job, Jangmo-o,” Yamaguchi praised meekly. “Retaliate with Dragon Tail,” he commanded with little confidence. He felt his heart sink as Jangmo-o snubbed him. Insead she walked off the field towards a nearby shrub.

“What’s going on?” Hinata’s voice echoed through the room. A sharp ‘shhhh’ from Yachi quieted him up.

Viola watched on in obvious understanding. This wasn't the first time she had faced a trainer with a Pokemon that refused to listen. She always felt bad for the poor kids but not all Pokemon were compliant.

“Jangmo-o, please” Yamaguchi desperately whimpered, his pride being smashed into the ground and buried six feet under. 

Jangmo-o replied to the plea with a large lazy yawn, not even bothering to look Yamaguchi’s way. The room fell into an awkward silence. A silence that left Yamaguchi feeling sick.

“Jangmo-o is unable to battle,” the referee called after the sickening silence passed. 

If anyone was calling out to Yamaguchi, he could not hear them for his world numbed as his eyes stayed fixed on Jangmo-o. He did not know what else he should have expected from the dragon. This is how it always went with her since the day he caught her. She never listened to a word he said. She always looked on to him in pure hatred.

With the world numb to him, Yamaguchi did not take notice of Viola when she shook his hand for a job well done. Words of support spoken to him from both Yachi and Hinata went unheard. The buildings they passed on their way to the Pokemon Center went unseen. Nurse Joy's words of worry passed by Yamaguchi as he numbly nodded to everything said to him. He didn’t even take notice of the concerned glances from his best friend. With each step he took his heart sunk lower and lower as the feeling of breaking down threatened to overtake him.

With his Pokemon checked in with Nurse Joy and the realization of his utter embarrassing loss now settling in deep, Yamaguchi did not follow the other’s to the room they had stayed in last night. Tsukishima and the others turned in concern once realizing Yamaguchi was not following after them. With his eyes down cast, Yamaguchi did not take notice of their concerned sares.

“Is everything okay, Yamaguchi?” Yachi hesitantly asked.

“I…. I’ll catch up with you guys later,” Yamaguchi replied, his tone broken and body shaking with the need to cry. Without a second thought, he turned on his heels and ran from the Pokemon Center. As he slipped through the automatic doors he could hear Hinata’s concerned voice calling after him.

Yamaguchi dare not look back as he ran through the town. It was late afternoon now, almost evening and the streets held very few people. His eyes blinded by tears, Yamaguchi took very little notice of anyone he passed. He did not know where he was going nor did he have a destination, he just longed to be alone. Almost on instinct his body led him to the outskirts of the town.

His cheeks now drenched in tears of defeat, Yamaguchi plopped down on a crate box that stood beside a small cottage. In normal cases, he would never take refuge on a stranger's property but in his sorry state he was not fully aware of where he was.

With his face buried in his hands, Yamaguchi released loud sorrowful sobs. Despite telling himself over and over that he could always try again, Yamaguchi felt like the biggest loser. He felt utterly embarrassed by his defeat. Not even Hinata had struggled as he did. He couldn't even beat Viola’s first pokemon. He had only landed one hit the whole battle. The mere thought of the pitiful battle set another wave of shaking sobs to run through his body. Jangmo-o had every right to hate him as she did. Yamaguchi was indeed the worst trainer any Pokemon could ask for.

As all these self deprecating thoughts flooded Yamaguchi's mind as his loud sobs carried far. Time passed at a rate that made it hard for Yamaguchi to know how long he had been crying. Any time he felt his tears begin to subside he’d think about how he let Tsukki down or how he never should have left Alola and would start back up again.

Yamaguchi knew that it was just one gym battle. He knew he was being far too dramatic with all the waterworks over one lost battle. He knew how silly this all was in the grand scheme of things but this journey in Kalos was meant to be different from his childhood in Alola.

Another rack of sobs shook through his body as he imagined how disappointed Tsukki and his mother must be in him for being such a pushover coward. With almost all of his tears cried out a wave of exhaustion washed over him. Bringing his knees up he buried his face into them as he closed his eyes. Silent tears trailed down his cheeks as he did his best to calm down.

As moments passed he felt a calmness wash over him. It was a warmth that washed away his bad feelings. He released a small sigh as a small dot of hope began to appear out of nowhere. Feeling quite a bit better, Yamaguchi looked up only realize something had been holding his hand. 

Standing in front of him stood a very cute, very friendly Sylveon. It’s ribbon like feelers were all stroking him soothingly in some way with one having wound itself around his wrist. Yamaguchi looked on in confusion as the fairy type Pokemon purred happily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my, oh my! What was quite the defeat! Our poor baby Yama really didn’t deserve this but I kind of had to do it. But alas! What is this! A Sylveon! What is going on? I wonder…
> 
> Well, there you go. I got chapter 9 out before my trip. As I have mentioned, just now and before, I will be on a trip so my next two weekend uploads maybe won’t happen. You may not see any activity from me until the second week of October. We will have to see. I predict that I am going to be busy but I may find some down time to throw up chapter 10. But at least I didn’t leave you guys hanging in terms of the gym battle. I hope you all enjoyed the very first gym and I can’t wait for the plot to thicken even more :)
> 
> As always I love to heard from you guys so please leave a reviere. I am curious, did you all think Yama was going to win this gym battle? Was it obvious that he was going to lose? I wasn’t necessarily trying to make it a secret or anything. Since I know what is going to happen in this story I sometimes worry I am not getting things across as well as I could. Let me know what you think of things and your predictions. 
> 
> Also in the last chapter I tried to imply that Jangmo-o was not at full health and was injured but I maybe didn’t get my point across clearly. I will do my best in the next chapters to make my intentions more clear. Do feel free to ask if something seems too vague. I mean it seems obvious to me but I wrote it so of course it seems obvious to me. I know what I am thinking ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯.
> 
> Well, I hope you all have a great rest of your week and I will see you all next chapter!


	10. The Cottage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! I am back from being away. I decided to put a chapter up since I wasn’t around last week and I have the time now. I hope you enjoy chapter 10. This was a fun one to write.
> 
> I’d like to think my beta reader heichousheadphones (https://heichousheadphones.tumblr.com/) for taking time from their busy day to help me with my horrible grammar and for also helping me go through the thinking process while writing this little fic.
> 
> Chapter 10! Here we gooooo!

As tears trickled down Yamaguchi's freckled cheeks his eye lingered on the purring Sylveon. All his sorrows seemed to subside as Sylveon soothed him gently with her ribbon like feelers. Confusion only mildly set in as his tears all together stopped. Sylveon was extremely rare to find in the wild. Who did this Pokemon belong to?

“Sylveon, where did you go?” came a voice from around the cottage Yamaguchi sat beside.

It was in that very moment that Yamaguchi realized he was sitting on a crate beside a very small and quaint cottage. Panic set in as he realized he had trespassed on someone’s property. Before he could take any action on his panic the owner of the mystery voice came into view.

A man looking to be much older than Yamaguchi with short black hair and a kind smile came from around the corner. He wore stylish red thick framed glasses upon his nose and a kind smile upon his lips. He had a striped purple and white shirt with brown slacks and over his waist was a green breeders apron. At the man’s heels was a Glaceon and Espeon both of whom looked on at Yamaguchi in curiosity. Once again, Yamaguchi found himself quite speechless as the man and his Pokemon approached. 

“Looks like Sylveon found you first,” the mad jokingly said with a kind smile.

Yamaguchi looked to him with his mouth agape. He had meant to ask what he meant but the question got lost in his throat. 

Seeing Yamaguchi’s blatant confusion the man gave a small chuckle. “We heard you crying from inside,” the man clarified kindly. “My name is Shimada Makoto, by the way.”

At this Yamaguchi felt his face go beet red. Had this man, Shimada, really heard his loud blubbering? “S-s-sorry!” Yamaguchi barely got out. Embarrassment wracked his body as he felt too shaken to look Shimada in the eye.

“No worries...umm?” Shimada waved off as he prompted Yamaguchi to introduce himself.

“Y-Yamaguchi,” Yamaguchi almost shouted, still far too embarrassed to have any sort of control over his voice. “Yamaguchi Tadashi!”

“Well, then, Yamaguchi, care to come in for some tea and snacks?” Shimada kindly offered. “I promise the chairs inside are much more comfortable than the gardening crates, and you can wash up a bit if you’d like.”

“O-Okay,” Yamaguchi found himself saying without really meaning to. He rarely every accepted such invitations from strangers but something about this Shimada set him at ease, or perhaps it was Sylveon’s soothing aura?

Shimada kindly smiled as he gave an approving nod. He then led Yamaguchi and the three eeveelutions into the small cottage. Once inside the small house Yamaguchi found a quaint kitchen with a dainty table and chairs. The kitchen lead into the hall that Yamaguchi assumed held the bedroom and bathroom of the house.

“Feel free to take a seat,” Shimada said as he motion to the ornate kitchen table and it’s equally decorative seats.

With a silent nod, Yamaguchi slipped into one of the four cushioned seats. Shimada had been right, these seats really were more comfortable than the crate outside. The Sylveon from before made himself comfortable in Yamaguchi’s lap, curling up just right to fit snugly. Unconsciously Yamaguchi stroked at the fairy type’s large ears.

“You’ll have to excuse him. He doesn’t understand personal boundaries,” Shimada chuckled as he poured hot water into a teapot. 

“I don’t mind,” Yamaguchi waved off a bit too quickly.

“He’s always attracted to those in distress,” Shimada carried on with a sigh. “Seems to always want to help those who are feeling burdened. I suppose it’s in his nature.”

“It’s quite nice, really,” Yamaguchi insisted as his nerves bagan to really ease off. “It’s doing wonders for me right now,” he admitted shyly.

“So, was it a bad break up?” Shimada asked as he placed a tea cup in front of Yamaguchi. 

Yamaguchi felt his cheeks go red once more at the mere idea. “N-no!” he squeaked.

“I expected as much,” Shimada chuckled as he poured tea for Yamaguchi and himself. “Could it have been a battle gone wrong then?” He asked, this time his tone less joking.

Yamaguchi deflated at the question. He gave a small nod as his eye stayed fixed on the rippling tea in his cup. He heard Shimada give a knowing hum as he sat down.

“Gym battle?” Shimada quietly asked.

Yamaguchi gave one nod of confirmation, not daring to look away from his tea.

I calm yet somber silence hung heavy in the small kitchen. Only the ticking of the kitchen clock filled the air.

“A loss is never an easy thing to swallow,” Shimada admitted, his tone somber. “But the most important part is-”

“Picking yourself back up and carrying on,” Yamaguchi finished as he looked up from his tea. He held an expression that read he had heard this exact same thing many times. This won him a small chuckle from Shimada.

“Yeah, I heard that a lot when I was your age, too,” Shimada admitted with an almost dreamy look to his eyes. “I always hated it.”

Another beat of silence filled the kitchen as Yamaguchi’s expression changed to mild interest. Now that he thought of it, he had no clue who this Shimada man was. For all he knows this guy could be really dangerous. His expression must have been obvious for Shimada answered in good nature.

“Hearing you crying out there and seeing you behind this cottage reminded me a lot of myself when I was your age,” Shimada gave another wistful sigh as he spoke.

“R-Really?” Yamaguchi questioned in disbelief. He looked on at Shimada in pure curiosity. A man who seems to have his act together could not possibly be as pathetic as himself.

“Yeah, when I went up against my first gym battle I lost horribly,” Shimada carried on, laughing at the far of memory he spoke of. “My three Pokemon were knocked out by one of the gym leader’s Pokemon. It was a disaster.” 

Yamaguchi questioned weather this was more than just a coincidence. Could Shimada really have experienced the same thing as himself or was he lying to make Yamaguchi feel better? “The same happened to me…” Yamaguchi found himself whisper.

“You don’t say…” Shimada looked to him in his own state of disbelief. “Small world I guess, thought it was not this gym I lost to.”

Yamaguchi fidgeted uncomfortably as he ached to asked Shimada a question. Shimada waited patiently, allowing the younger shy trainer to work up the will.

“W-What did…” Yamaguchi started hesitantly as he seemed to almost second guess himself. “What did you do?” he finally got out, less fidgety now that the question had been asked.

“Cried,” Shimada admitted with no shame. “I also really thought about what I wanted,” he carried on almost wistfully. “I hated battling you see, but I also felt like there was something out there for me. Like I shouldn’t give up.”

Yamaguchi could not relate more with what Shimada had said. He felt his heart pound as he leaned forward in interest. It felt almost comforting to have met someone who had experienced a similar disposition as his own. “Did… Did you ever beat the gym?” He found himself asking.

“Nope,” Shimada replied once more with little to no shame.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked,” Yamaguchi corrected quickly, fearing he had possibly struck a sore nerve. Little did he know it was quite the opposite. 

“I quite the league so I had no need to battle the gym again,” Shimada almost sounded proud as he elaborated. 

This peaked Yamaguchi’s curiosity once more. Most people were not proud to be quitters. His confusion cause Shimada to laugh in good nature.

“I hated gym battles, so why bother doing them?” Shimada carried on with a shrug. “After taking time to think about it, I realized there was a lot more out there than just the league for a trainer to get involved in. So, I quite the league.”

“Wow,” Yamaguchi hummed in admiration. “What did you end up doing?” He asked before he could stop himself.

“Oh, I thought it was obvious,” Shimada laughed as he motioned to a small shelf holding several shining trophies. Under the trophies were a few glittering shiny ornate keys. “I took up Pokemon Showcase,” he said with a large smile.

“Pokemon Showcase?” Yamaguchi echoed as he racked his brain as to where he had heard of it before.

“Yep,” Shimada said with a proud nod as he looked to all of his trophies and keys. “It’s where both Pokemon and trainer work in unison to put on a spectacular show.”

“Is there… battling ever?” Yamaguchi reluctantly asked.

“Nope, not at all,” Shimada hummed. “But it really taught me how to become synced with my Pokemon, and before long I think I could have taken on that gym again and won if I wanted to,” he spoke with a small shrug at the end. “I found it to be the best option for a trainer like me, who hated battling.”

“I’ve never thought of trying something other than the league,” Yamaguchi admitted aloud. Shimada’s way of speaking about Pokemon Showcases ignited a small flame in Yamaguchi. “Do you still perform now?”

“Not as of recent,” Shimada admitted. “I’m mostly retired now and have spent my time delving into breeding to be honest but I do get involved with competitions on occasion.”

“You do breeding, too?” Yamaguchi asked in awe. He felt impressed at the man’s accomplishments.

“It’s kind of a family business to be honest,” Shimada chuckled, enjoying Yamaguchi’s enthuseasum. “It’s a good thing I’m interested in it. I do plan to take the business over from my parents some day.”

“What have you bred?” Yamaguchi asked as he unconsciously stroked the head of the now sleeping Sylveon.

“Well, these three guys are an example of what I’ve bred,” Shimada replied as he looked to his Espeon who was sitting in the window sill looking up at the setting sun.

“You bred these three?” Yamaguchi gasped. He had heard Eevee breeding was no easy task.

“It’s one of my family’s specialties,” Shimada nodded. “We’ve also dappled in fairy types, mostly my mom, and on occasion, starter pokemon for the professor,” he rambled on in a comfortable hum. “Now that’s enough about me, what about you, Yamaguchi?” Shimada chuckled before taking a sip of his tea.

“M-Me?” Yamaguchi squeaked in shock. “I’ve never bred in my life!”

“No, I don’t mean that,” Shimada laughed arily. “What’s going to be your next move?”

“Oh,” Yamaguchi half deflated. He looked to the side in mild avoidance of the question but Shimada did not relent. “I…. I suppose try again?”

“Hmmm…” Shimada simply hummed in reply. “I’m not telling you to join a Showcase or anything, but keeping an open mind can really lead you to a happiness you might have never known existed.”

The idea of trying something outside of the league was more than tempting for Yamaguchi. Not having to stress over these gym battles sounded like heaven. But something within Yamaguchi, most definitely his stubborn pride, made it hard for him to give up on the league. 

“Yeah…” Yamaguchi replied in far off thought. The idea of going back to Viola’s gym was not the least bit tempting.

“But do think about it. There is more to Pokemon than just battles. If you do decide to try something else feel free to reach out to me,” Shimada kindly offered, his eyes fixed on Yamaguchi.

“Thank you,” Yamaguchi replied with a bit of hesitation. “But why have you been so kind to me?” he asked as he looked to Shimada in a mix of grateful surprise.

“I guess I just see a kindred spirit in you,” Shimada softly admitted.

Yamaguchi could not help but smile. It wasn’t often strangers were so kind to him. He felt himself very lucky to have stumbled upon Shimada like this.

The two spent the rest of their time sipping on tea and munching on cookies. Shimada told Yamaguchi of his time as a Showcase Performer while Yamaguchi shared tidbits about Poni Island and his life in Alola. The atmosphere was calm and pleasant and before long Yamaguchi felt as if he had known Shimada for all his life. It was almost as if the man understood his plight to the core. 

Time passed quickly as the two chatted and when Yamaguchi looked out the window he realized that the sun was close to setting. His conversation with Shimada had been so engaging he hadn’t realized how much time had passed. Reluctantly he told the man he had to go. He didn’t want to worry Tsukki and the others.

“Reach out to me if you ever have anything you want to talk about,” Shimada insisted as he handed off his contact to Yamaguchi.

“Is that really okay?” Yamaguchi asked as he took the paper with the contact information. “I wouldn’t want to be a bother.”

“None at all,” Shimada gently insisted. “It’s my pleasure to help out blooming trainers.”

Yamaguchi could not help but feel his cheeks go pink at the man’s kindness. “Th-thank you,” he shyly replied.

“Take care of your self, Yamaguchi. And don’t rush things,” Simada said offering up his final bit of advice. “There are many options out there, just remember that.”

“R-Right,” Yamaguchi replied with a shy smile. “Thank you again, for your kindness.”

“Not a problem at all,” Shimada insisted once more.

With that Yamaguchi waved his goodbye and headed away from the small cottage. The sun was now far over the horizon and stars were beginning to dot the sky. He had spent the whole afternoon with Shimada, though it felt as if no time had passed at all. Yamaguchi hoped Tsukki wasn’t worried over him. The mere idea of Tsukki being worried over anyone seemed almost unfathomable. 

By the time Yamaguchi made it to the Pokemon Center the sun was fully set and the sky was decorated with a million stars and a bright half moon. The lobby to the Pokemon Center was quiet with only a few people milling about waiting to see Nurse Joy. Yamaguchi made for the room he, Tsukki, Hinata and Kageyama had been staying in the night before. As he walked he contemplated what he would say when he returned. He knew Tsukki probably would not ask too many questions but something told him Hinata and Yachi would be a different story. Fortunately for Yamaguchi, he did not have to wait long to forget about these trivial worries for when he opened the door to the room he was met by only Tsukki.

Tsukishima sat upon the top bunk as he flipped through a informational book on dragon types. Other than him, the room was absent of any other people. Yamaguchi stepped into the room closing the door quietly before realizing all of Kageyama and Hinata’s belongings were gone. His confusion must have been noticeable for he next took notice of Tsukki looking directly at him from over his book.

“They left a while ago,” Tsukishima simply explained. “Said they had to leave due to a tight schedule or something stupid like that,” he carried on in a low grumble.

“Oh, right,” Yamaguchi almost whispered as he felt an odd sense of mild disappointment. It was silly of him to think they would have hung around. They really are still strangers to both Tsukki and himself.

“Have you had dinner yet?” Tsukishima asked as he placed his book aside.

“No, not yet,” Yamaguchi replied, looking up to find Tsukki studying him from his perch. Tsukishima’s sharp amber eyes seemed to be studying Yamaguchi carefully. It was almost as if he were making sure Yamaguchi was not an imposter. Yamaguchi shifted uncomfortably under the gaze, missing the hint of worry in Tsukishima’s eyes.

“Me too,” Tsukishima answered only after he seemed satisfied with Yamaguchi’s condition. “I haven’t had dinner yet, too,” he clarified.

“Let me put my stuff down and we can grab a bite somewhere,” Yamaguchi suggested, doing his best to show all was well with a small smile.

Tsukishima gave a small nod in confirmation but did not speak. This was something Yamaguchi was more than used to. It only took him a minute or so to sort out his things. As he and Tsukki walked to a nearby diner he gave his best friend vague details of where he had been this whole time.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was late morning by the time Yamaguchi and Tsukishima found themselves leaving the Pokemon Center. Yamaguchi was happy to find that both Popplio and Swirlix were back to full health and equally happy to see him. He apologized to the two several times, both Pokemon showering him with love and care the whole way. They had spent a long while carrying on in such a manner before Tsukki made Yamaguchi call them back into their balls so they could be on their way.

Yamaguchi had decided the night before that they should carry on to the next town. Just because he was being indecisive did not mean Tsukki should suffer as well. They could always come back for Yamaguchi’s gym battle. Besides, Yamaguchi had found himself pondering his career options often since his chat with Shimada the night before.

As they left the small town, Yamaguchi caught sight of the small cottage where Shimada resided. His eyes lingered on it long enough for Tsukki to notice. Part of Yamaguchi wanted to thank the man but another part of him felt he had burdened Shimada enough. As he and Tsukki rounded the corner he released a heavy sigh. Leaving defeated was never easy.

It was Tsukishima who noticed it first. He stopped in his tracks turning, his expression nothing but confusion and mildly annoyed. “Is someone calling your name?” he asked.

Jarred from his thoughts Yamaguchi looked up only to hear his name was indeed being called. 

“Yamaguchi, wait!” Came the familiar voice of Shimada. 

“Shimada?” Yamaguchi questioned as he turned to see the man jogging after him with a package in his hands.

“Thank goodness I caught up to you before you left,” Shimada huffed and puffed as he struggled to catch his breath.

“Shimada, is something wrong?” Yamaguchi asked in worry as he placed a hand upon Shimada’s shoulder.

Shimada made a motion to show he was fine before huffing some more.

“Who is this?” Tsukishima asked flatly.

“The name is Shimada Makoto,” Shimada answered before Yamaguchi could.

Tsukishima looked from Shimada to Yamaguchi with a very sceptical expression. Ot was almost as if he thought Shimada to be dangerous.

“He’s the man who helped me out last night,” Yamaguchi clarified. “The one I told you about over dinner.”

Tsukishima than gave a small hummm of confirmation only too look at Shimada in slight disapproval. Tsukishima was rarely ever receptive of new people regardless of the case. Yamaguchi shook the rude behaviour with an eye roll.

“I take it you must be Tsukishima?” Shimada said with a friendly smile.

“That would be correct,” Tsukishima replied, his tone flat and slightly less rude.

“It’s nice to meet you. Yamaguchi told me all about you,” Shimada carried on light hearted.

“Did he now?” Tsukishima hummed as he looked to Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi looked back with a sheepish grin. Talking Tsukki’s praise was a bad habit of his. “He barely mentioned you,” Tsukishima replied after the long moment.

“Tsukki!” Yamaguchi snapped as he looked to his friend sternly. He hadn’t a clue what had gotten into Tsukki. He had been acting odd since hearing about his ventures last night.

“I see. So that’s how it is,” Shimada chuckled, not offended in the least.

“You’ll have to excuse him,” Yamaguchi said reluctantly.

“He’s just a caring friend,” Shimada shrugged as he eyed Tsukishima knowingly.

“Was there a reason why you stopped us?” Tsukishima sharply asked, apparently not taking the comment too kindly.

“Oh, right! I almost forgot,” Shimada gasped, unable to hide the grin on his face. He than placed the large box he had been carrying on the ground. “I have something I wanted to give you, Yamaguchi.”

“Something for me?” Yamaguchi squeaked in surprise. 

“Yeah, I was thinking about it all last night and I think you are the best person for it,” Shimada carried on as he motioned to the box he was holding. “Go a head a take it out.”

“R-really?” Yamaguchi reluctantly asked, not being used to such kindness by people he barely knew.

“Just open it already,” Tsukishima grumbled.

Yamaguchi ignored the comment as he approached the box. The lid was only held shut by a piece to tape. Peeling back the tape and opening the flaps he looked in to find an odd large jar like contraptions. He released a curious humm as he lifted the contraption out of the box. Examining it he gave a small gasp. 

“Is this a…?” Yamaguchi could not finish his questioned for inside the large jar was a Pokemon egg. He could not find the words to describe his shock upon receiving a Pokemon egg. Even Tsukki seemed shocked by the gift.

“Yup, it’s a Pokemon egg,” Shimada smiled proudly. “One I’ve raised so far myself and I’d like you to be the one to hatch it!” 

“Me!?” Yamaguchi squeaked. “I- I’ve never- I couldn’t- I don’t know how,” he sputtered as he failed to suppress the fluttery feeling of happiness that began to well in his stomach.

“I think you’re the best person for the job to be honest,” Shimada cut in, not leaving any room for rejection. “I’ll also give you a bottle for feeding and other items you will need once it hatches.”

“But… Why?” Yamaguchi asked, unable to understand why he’d receive such a precious gift from a stranger. Even Tsukki gave a hum in agreeance.

“I have my reasons,” Shimada shrugged, his tone holding a hint of mystery. “Just take good care of this egg and promise me that while you care for it you really think about what it is you want to do next.”

“I… I will,” Yamaguchi replied before he could really think through what Shimada had just said.

“I believe in you, Yamaguchi,” Shimada hummed, his tone full of an unexpected affection. 

With much of his confidence reinvigorated Yamaguchi gave a confident nod.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So who saw it coming. Eventually Shimada had to come into the story at some point. I wonder what is going to hatch from the egg? What is Yamaguchi going to do about his future! All this and more will be revealed if you stay tuned!
> 
> From now on I should be able to post regularly again. Expect to see a chapter a week as long as things don’t go downhill on my end. 
> 
> I hope you are all enjoying this story so far. I know not a lot has happened despite it being 10 chapter’s already. I hope to get things to pick up a bit from here on out. Do let me know if you ever feel like the story is going way too slow. Sometimes it’s hard for me to tell.
> 
> That being said, thank you all for the kudos, follows, reviews and comments. I love to hear from my readers. It really lets me know how I am doing and such as a fic writer. It is also just a good way of encouraging me to get back on and work on the next chapter.
> 
> Well, that is all for now. See you all next chapter.


	11. Sparks and Explosion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Here is chapter 11 just in time for the weekend like I promised. I wonder how Yamaguchi is doing after all that had happened. Let’s read and find out!
> 
> I’d like to think my beta reader heichousheadphones (https://heichousheadphones.tumblr.com/) for taking time from their busy day to help me with my horrible grammar and for also helping me go through the thinking process while writing this little fic.
> 
> SO! I need some help. My current beta reader is very busy and is unable to be my beta reader anymore. If you are interested in being my new beta please let me know. I will leave some information at the ending notes.
> 
> Let’s read chapter 11!!!!

The two young trainers once again woke up to a clear cool sunny spring day. The air was fresh with the scent of sweet flowers and freshly grown leaves from the surrounding trees and bushes. The world was filled with the sound of birds twittering in the trees and the hums of Flabébé and Floette who floated high above their heads with the morning breeze. This was the sort of day that filled Yamaguchi’s every being with hope and determination. 

Breathing in deeply through his nose, Yamaguchi enjoyed the scent of spring immensely as he made his way to a nearby stream. Popplio was already splashing about in the crystal clear water. She barked with joy as she caught sight of her master approaching. Yamaguchi admired the array of multicolored stones that could be seen through the glass-like water before dipping his canteen into its cool depths.

“Much colder than I expected,” Yamaguchi gasped as a bit of water splashed upon his hand. “Don’t know how you are able to swim in it like that,” he carried on as Popplio filled the air with bubbles from where she floated.

Yamaguchi smiled as he admired his partner. He sometimes envied how carefree Popplio was. Perhaps this whole battling thing wouldn’t be such a problem if he could just learn to let loose. His smile faltered for only a moment as this thought passed his mind. For the past two days he and Tsukki had been traveling he had been doing his best not to think about the lost gym battle. It still hung heavy on his heart and blinded him if he allowed the thoughts to stay too long.

Popplio gave a loud bark before playfully spraying a spritz of water upon his face. Yamaguchi sputtered as his face became drenched, his dark thoughts washing away with each drop. His sputter turned into a laugh as he begged Popplio to stop. With another happy bark, Popplio did as she was told before jumping onto shore beside her master.

“Look at me! I’m all wet!” Yamaguchi sighed, though he could not hide his smile. His clothes had avoided the water attack, only really receiving a few droplets here and there that fell from his face. He did his best to send a disapproving look to Popplio but was met with a happy bark. He could not help but laugh as he ruffled Popplio’s head with much affection. “Oh, what would I do without you?” he hummed.

With his heart full of joy once more and all the canteens filled with fresh spring water, he and Popplio made there way back to the camp where Tsukki and the other’s awaited them.

Once they were back at camp Yamaguchi and Popplio found Tsukki resting against a tree with his headphones on. His eyes were closed but Yamaguchi could tell he was awake. Beside Tsukki sat a snoozing Snivy and Bagon. Yamaguchi gave a hum of affection upon seeing the three so calm. As always, Swirlix had made herself comfortable upon their half-packed backpacks. It was beyond Yamaguchi how Swirlix could sleep in such an uncomfortable bed but Tsukki insisted that he had seen Yamaguchi do the exact same thing on many occasions. Salazzle sat wrapped around the egg Yamaguchi had received from Shimada. Yamaguchi had offered her an extra treat at lunch if she helped him to keep the egg warm as he filled the canteens.

The sight of the camp warmed Yamaguchi’s heart. Seeing both trainers and Pokemon at such peace always put him at ease. He wished everyday could be as relaxing as this one. With a small sigh he made his way over to Salazzle. As he approached Salazzle awoke from her nap with a smile upon her face.

“You are excused from you duties for now,” Yamaguchi said in a playfully serious tone. 

Salazzle released a low hiss before getting on her hind legs and tickling playfully at Yamaguchi’s neck as if to ask where the payment was. 

“Hey, you’ll get your extra treat at lunch. I promise,” Yamaguchi laughed as he pushed the large bipedal lizard back.

Salazzle didn't relent as she leaned more weight on him and tickled at his ear with her tongue.

“Fine, let me check on the egg and than I will get you your reward,” Yamaguchi laughed, as Salazzle abused his ticklish spot.

With a satisfied hiss, Salazzle backed off but made sure to stay close to Yamaguchi, almost mimicking his every move.

Still giggling at Salazzles antics, Yamaguchi settling himself on the ground next to the egg. Very carefully he plucked the egg from the incubator and placed it in a very soft and plush towel. All the while Salazzle wrapped herself around Yamaguchi from the back, resting her head upon on leg with her tail winding around his back to the other leg. Her keen eyes watched his every move but she kept as quiet as a Dedenne.

Using the plush towel, Yamaguchi rubbed at the egg gently and softly. The books Shimada had lent to him all insisted on polishing the egg at least twice a day. Many books also mentioned the importance of talking softly with the egg. Yamaguchi found both actions to be quite relaxing and a wonderful way to both start and end the day.

“What do you suppose is in this egg?” Yamaguchi hummed as he tenderly rubbed the top of the egg with his fingers. This was a question he found himself asking almost every day since receiving the egg.

Salazzle replied with a low calming hiss as the tip of her tongue licked at Yamaguchi’s forearm.

“Do you think it will hatch soon? Shimada never told me how far along it was,” Yamaguchi wistfully carried on as he admired the smooth surface of the egg.

Once again Salazzle replied with a low hiss and a flick of her tongue.

“I wonder what you’ll be like once you hatch,” Yamaguchi sweetly hummed to the egg. He held it close pressing his warm cheek against its shell. The egg was surprisingly warm. “Come out soon so we can meet you,” he whispered against its shell. He then held the egg close to his chest wrapping his arms arounds it. Several of the breeder books claimed that the sound of a beating heart was essential to the development of the creature within the egg.

“I swear, whatever is in that egg is going to come out spoiled rotten with how much attention you give it,” Tsukishima mumbled from where he sat. Yamaguchi could hear a teasing edge to his voice that most people would have missed.

“I just want he or she to develop the best they can,” Yamaguchi replied as he did his best to sneer. Sneering was hard to do through a smile so all Yamaguchi ended up doing was scrunching up his nose.

Tsukishima gave a small thrug as he failed to hide the faint smile that tugged at the edge of his lips. “And you,” he grumbled, addressing Salazzle. “Who gave you permission to be mommy number two?”

“I did,” Yamaguchi replied, holding his nose high and trying not to laugh. He leaned into Salazzle just to prove his point. Salazzle gave a playful flick of her tongue as if to agree with Yamaguchi.

“You’re becoming too soft, Salazzle,” Tsukishima mumbled in a not so believable disapproving tone. 

“Don’t you listen to that old meanie. You are still my strong pretty lady,” Yamaguchi spoke in a baby voice as he and Salazzle rubbed cheeks. Salazzle hissed in agreement.

Tsukishima released a small scoff as he watched Yamaguchi snuggle with his poison fire lizard. 

Yamaguchi could not help but laugh at his reaction. His light hearted giggles filled the air causing Popplio to join in the fun blowing a multitude of bubbles. Yamaguchi watched the bubbles ride a warm breeze that took them floating up towards the bright blue sky as his giggled subsided. Holding the egg close to his beating heart he allowed the joy he felt in this moment to sink in.

“So, do we plan to head out today or stay one more night here?” Yamaguchi asked once the moment passed. Yamaguchi really didn't mind if they stayed another night. He quite liked their camping spot. The ground was soft and the nearby stream so fresh and clear. It really was perfect to help one clear their mind.

“Just say you want to stay another night if that’s what you want,” Tsukishima called him out, his tone quite neutral and none too accusing.

“Am I that obvious?” Yamaguchi sheepishly asked.

“You’ve not smiled this much the past few days,” Tsukishima flatly replied.

“Are you okay with it then?” Yamaguchi smiled, batting his eyes with much hope.

“Of course I am, why wouldn’t I be?” Tsukishima almost scoffed, not falling victim to Yamaguchi's tactics. “I have some training I need to do before the next gym so another day here would be best for me, too, I suppose,” he said in what was meant to be a bored drawl that Yamaguchi saw right through.

“Thanks, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi said with a bright smile. Whenever Tsukki was this kind it always set his heart a flutter. He didn’t want to toot his own horn but he rarely ever saw Tsukki be as lenient with anyone other than himself and it was one of Yamaguchi’s most secret favorite feelings.

“Not a big deal,” Tsukishima replied with a light dusting of pink to his cheeks. This only made Yamaguchi smile wider and more bight.

The two enjoyed the quiet of the campsite for only a while longer before they both decided it was best if they carried on about their day. Tsukishima took off with his three Pokemon into the woods to train while Yamaguchi decided to gather wood and hunt for berries to make sure they had enough food to last them. With his egg back in it’s case and securely fastened to his back, Yamaguchi, Popplio and Swirlix ventured into the woods.

The woods were much thicker than Yamaguchi had expected them to be. Several times his shirt caught on low hanging branches and eventually he had to carry Popplio in his arm for it had become far too difficult for her to walk. The group followed Swirlix as she allowed her keen nose to lead them to any nearby berry trees. Yamaguchi had found out that the cotton candy-like Pokemon was a master at finding the freshest of ingredients.

It didn’t take the small group long to come across a small grove of pecha berries and oran berries. With Popplio balancing on his head to reach the higher up berries, the three got to work on picking as many berries as they could. The berries were so abundant that even after they filled their bag to the brim it hadn’t looked like they had even made a dent. Satisfied with their bounty Yamaguchi switched modes to their next task at hand.

“Now we need to find some firewood. We need to make sure that it’s nice a dry wood so that it burns nicely,” Yamaguchi calmly instructed to his two pokemon.

With that the group wondered further into the woods in a random direction. Overtaken by his good mood, Yamaguchi became careless about where they were going and where they had been. The poor trainer probably wouldn’t have even noticed if they started walking in circles. Fortunately for him this time he wasn’t.

Searching for the berries had been quite easy but finding dry wood was a whole other task at hand. Struggling through the thick branches the three had only found a few branches that Yamaguchi deemed worthy as firewood. With Popplio balancing on his head, the large bag of berries hanging from one arm and his other arm trying desperately to carry the firewood, Yamaguchi realized they may have a bit of a dilemma. Despite his tall stature he was extremely clumsy. It was a wonder Popplio hadn’t toppled off his head nor had he dropped a single berry from the bag. But with each step he took he came closer and closer to tripping over his own feet.

“Why don’t we drop some of this of before looking for more wood,” Yamaguchi stuttered as he felt some of the wood shift dangerously in his arms. The safety of his egg hung heavy in his mind as his balance faltered for only a moment. Popplio gave a bark of joyful agreement from atop his head almost shifting his balance in the other direction.

Doing his best not to topple over or drop anything he held, Yamaguchi made his way back in the direction of the camp. Or at least he made his way in the direction he suspected camp to be. Stumbling through the thick brush mild panic began to settle in Yamaguchi’s stomach. Camp was in this direction, wasn’t it? Had they wandered into the woods this far? What direction does moss grow on trees? Yamaguchi racked his brain as he did his bet to orient himself. Popplio and Swirlix didn’t seem in the least bit worried of being lost.

“Swirlix!” Yamaguchi shouted as if he had discovered the meaning of life. In doing so he almost dropped the pile of sticks he carried. The sudden action seemed to startle the pink fluffball. “Swirlix! Use your nose to find camp! Can you pick up dinner?” Yamaguchi asked as he did his best to keep calm.

Understnading her masteres comand Swirlix gave a small nod before lifting her nose up into the air. She closed her eyes as she concentrated all her senses into her nose. She sniffed once, twice and on her third sniff she opened her eyes with fierce determination and face to the left of Yamaguchi.

“Is camp that way?” Yamaguchi asked in excitement. Swirlix gave a sturdy nod. “I knew I could count on you,” Yamaguchi praised with a large smile.

With that Yamaguchi followed Swirlix’s nose once more. The cotton candy Pokemon moved swiftly with much conviction as she led Yamaguchi through the thick brush. Doing his best not to drop anything and trying not to trip Yamaguchi followed after Swirlix. All the while Popplio barked with pleasure as she balanced precariously on Yamaguchi’s head. 

As Swirlix carried on Yamaguchi could make out a clearing just beyond the trees. A feeling of relief flooded him as they approached the end of the thick forest. He’d finally be able to put his load down and not have to worry about falling over and damaging the egg. 

With a sigh of relief Yamaguchi pushed through the bushed and into the clearing. He stopped short dropping several of the sticks as he looked around to find that the clearing he stood in was not the same clearing that held their camp. The clearing was much smaller. It was shaded by the canopy of the nearby trees and the babbling stream was nowhere to he heard. To top it all off foreign camping items he had never seen before littered the small clearing. 

Swirlix lazily floated to a half open bag that sat up against a small tent. Almost immediately she began to rummage through the bad. Yamaguchi watched for only a moment before panic set in. Dropping the bag of berries he staggered over to Swirlix.

“No! That’s not our bag! Get out of there,” Yamaguchi commanded in a panicked whisper. He pulled Swirlix from the bag only to find that she had scored herself a few Poke Blocks. A mixture of panic and guilt settled in Yamaguchi’s stomach at seeing this. Part of him wanted to run and leave before the owner came back but his good nature insisted that he hang around and apologize. Fortunately for Yamaguchi he didn’t have to think terribly hard about his options.

“Hey! Who are you!?” demanded a voice from behind Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi felt his back go ridged as he stiffly turned around. He sputtered “I-I’m s-sorry!” as he did so.

Upon turning around Yamaguchi was greeted by a very short trainer with brown spiked hair and a blond fringe. Though the trainer was quite small his gaze was fierce beyond all belief and left Yamaguchi feeling like the smaller of the two. Beside the trainer was a Scrafty who looked more than ready to take them on. Yamaguchi did his best not to panic. It would be bad for the egg.

“So you think you can just barge in to my campsite and loot my bag, do ya!” the smaller trainer sneered as he began to circle Yamaguchi. “That’s a punishable crime, you know?!” Scrafty followed this up with a low growl to emphasise they meant business.

Yamaguchi shook from head to toe as he held Swirlix close. Swirlix didn’t seem bothered by the intense moment and snoozed in his arms. Popplio still balancing atop Yamaguchi’s head and released a few small excited bubbles. Thought of the egg’s safety flashed through Yamaguchi’s mind.

“W-w-we never meant to- Swirlix, she just acted on instinct- I c-c-can replace it,” Yamaguchi sputtered. Confrontation was never really his thing. He wished now more than ever to have Tsukki here to help ward off the stranger.

The smaller trainer carried on studying Yamaguchi. His keen eyes scanned the shivering trainer as Yamaguchi did his best not to lose his cool completely. But before Yamaguchi knew it both the smaller trainer and his Scrafty were smiling broadly up at him.

“Haha! I was just pulling your leg,” The smaller trainer laughed as he gave Yamaguchi’s shoulder a sturdy pat.

Yamaguchi almost lost balance as he released a very surprised “Eh!?”

“Name’s Nishinoya Yuu, but you can just call me Noya! And this here is my Scrafty!” Noya introduced with another hard pat to Yamaguchi’s shoulder. “And you are?”

“Yamaguchi!” Yamaguchi replied in a half daze still unsure if he was safe or not. “Yamaguchi Tadashi.”

“Nice to meet ya, Yamaguchi,” Noya smiled as his Scrafty dance around the bubbles Popplio was now blowing into the air. “I see you and your Pokemon are quite active today.”

“Y-Yeah, we were looking for firewood and I guess got turned around,” Yamaguchi sheepishly laughed. 

“Yeah, these woods are a little on the thick side. I almost got turned around twice,” Noya admitted brightly. With each passing moment Yamaguchi felt more at ease but none the less awkward. 

“Yeah well, we didn’t meant to bother you and I really can replace your-” Yamaguchi started before being cut off.

“Ah no worries,” Noya brushed off with a carefree wave. “There are more where those came from.”

“Well, if you say so,” Yamaguchi reluctantly replied, shifting his feet awkwardly. He felt bad for allowing Swirlix into the trainers pack but Noya didn’t seem bothered by it and Yamaguchi was not the type to push.

“Hey, I know how you can pay me back!” Noya gasped in excitement, causing Yamaguchi to start.

“Oh…?” Yamaguchi found himself replying reluctantly. He did his best not to come across too rude.

“Yeah, I could use your opinion on something,” Noya explained, his gaze more intense as he studied Yamaguchi.

“My opinion?” Yamaguchi asked in mild shock. His curiosity now began to take over.

“Yeah, you see, I’ve come up with a new routine for this upcoming Pokemon Showcase and I need to know if it looks as super awesome as it feels,” Noya elaborated with much gusto. Scrafty joined in with an array of elaborate jazz hands in hope to emphasize their point.

“A Pokemon Showcase?” Yamaguchi gasped as his mind wandered to Shimada.

“You know of them?” Noya promoted in excitement.

“Sort of. I’ve never seen one so I’m not too sure about how valid my opinion would be…” Yamaguchi mumbled in reluctance. 

“Nonsense!” Noya waved off. “A big part of the Showcase is audience appeal and all you’ll need to do is tell me what you think!” Noya pressed on.

“Well, I guess I could give you my opinion if you think it will help,” Yamaguchi shrugged.

“Great!” Noya cheered, jumping much higher than Yamaguchi had expected. “Follow me!” 

On that note, Noya and his Scrafty disappeared into the thick woods leaving Yamaguchi in a slight daze alone in the small camp site. Yamaguchi looked from where Noya had just disappeared into the woods, to Swirlix who was now snoozing in his arms. He hesitated for another moment wondering if he really should follow after the shorter trainer.

“Are you coming or what?” Yamaguchi heard Noya shout from within the woods.

“C-coming!” Yamaguchi sputtered, picking up his bag of berries and stumbling into the thick woods after the other trainer. With each step his reluctants subsided.

Doing his best, Yamaguchi followed Noya through the woods. Several times he wanted to ask where they were going and how much longer it would take but found it hard to pipe in as Noya gushed over this and that. Several times it passed Yamaguchi’s mind that Tsukki would arrive back to camp first and would worry over his whereabouts. Than Yamaguchi reminded himself that Tsukki rarely ever worried over anything. He’d most likely come looking for Yamaguchi before he bothered himself with worry.

It wasn’t long before Noya lead Yamaguchi into another clearing that lead to the river. It was upon seeing the river that it occured to Yamaguchi that he could have followed the river back to his own campground. It then occurred to him that he could not recall weather their camp was up stream from here or down stream. Regardless, Noya was not going to give him any more time to ponder it.

“Are you ready to see the most spectacular routine ever?” Noya cheered as Scrafty jumped to the ready.

“I-I suppose…?” Yamaguchi mumbled as he placed his bag of berried down and sat on a patch of soft grass. Swirlix and Popplio both made themselves comfortable on either side of him. Popplio, being the most excited, released a small happy bark while Swirlix yawned widely. Yamaguchi all the while wondered why they had to come to this location to see the trick or whatever it was.

“This could be dangerous so you may want to scoot back a bit,” Noya insisted as he puffed out his chest proudly.

“Oh…?” Yamaguchi reluctantly questioned, not unsure if he should have followed the smaller trainer in the first place. Thoughts of his eggs safety swirled in the back of his mind. Scooting back best he could, he could not find it in himself to leave quite yet.

“Jolteon, come on out!” Noya cheered as he summoned the electric Pokemon from its ball. 

With a triumphant cry Jolteon manifested between Noya and where Yamaguchi sat. In one motion it turned to face it’s trainer. It shook with excitement as it faced his master, ready to do whatever he asked of it.

“We have an audience, Jolteon, so let’s make this performance count,” Noya cheered in corus with his Scrafty.

Jolteon did not bother to turn and face Yamaguchi but instead got into place beside Noya. Noya than pulled from his pocket a small speaker and turned it on and placed it back into his pocket. He than, along with his two Pokemon, got into an odd dramatic pose with his hand in the air and stood there as if he were waiting for something. Several awkward moments passed as the clearing filled with silence. Yamaguchi became overwhelmed with confusion. Was this the performance?

Suddenly the speaker inside Noya’s pocket erupted into a loud rock song. The guitar ripped through the air as the drums shook the forest floor. Upon such an eruption Yamaguchi almost jumped out of his skin, while Popplio barked in utter excitement. Noya and his pokemon all the while began to do a well practiced dance.

Noya jumped around as if he were playing an air guitar while his scrafty banged away at invisible drums. With every fourth swing of his hand Scrafty would release a dark ball of some sort that would float through the air. All the while Jolteon ran quickly around the cleaning, so quickly Yamaguchi could barely see the electric pokemon. Spark flew from where Jolteon had only just been and followed his tracks like an electric path.

Yamaguchi watched on in amazement as the team of three filled the clearing with darkness and flashing electricity. It was indeed a sight to see in the daylight but in a darkened room this sort of spectacle would surely shine on a stage. Yamaguchi was so taken by the performance that he didn’t even take notice when one of Jolteon spark came much too close for comfort.

“Let’s end this guys!” Noya shouted as the rock song reached its climax. 

With that Scrafty built up a large dark ball pumping energy into it allowing the ball to grow larger and larger before it became even bigger than Tsukishima. As this happened Jolteon hunkered down as he too created an equally large ball of electricity. The spark from the ball reflected in Yamaguchi’s eyes like stars. All three onlookers became swept away by the spectacle as the two balls grew and grew.

As the end of the song began to build up both Pokemon released their balls into the air. The two large balls danced swirling high into the air as Noya, Jolteon and Scrafty danced in sync into position. As the song struck its final cord the two balls collide with a bomb like explosion just above the clearing. A blast of darkness and sparks filled the air as the ground around Yamaguchi shook. 

Still overtaken by the performance, Yamaguchi watched in awe as Noya and his team held their ending pose for a moment longer. With his mouth hanging agape, Yamaguchi forgot to clap. Popplio all the while cheered in uttar glee as she blew bubbles left and right. Swirlix seemed to be staring into the void. Yamaguchi was unsure if she had fallen asleep or was shaken from the explosion.

“So, what did you think?” Noya asked with a confident grin.

“That was amazing!” Yamaguchi replied in breathy awe. Still forgetting to clap, he staggered to his feet.

“Yeah, we totally stuck the landing perfectly this time,” Noya gloated, both his pokemon nodding along in a very similar fashion. 

“You were all in perfect unison. Did you make that up recently?” Yamaguchi found himself asking as he shimmied much closer to Noya.

“Nah, it’s something we have been working on for quite awhile now,” Noya explained with an almost forced laugh. “To be honest, the last few times we tried that we caught the tops of several trees on fire!” he carried on in a loud bellow. “I’m just glad it worked this time.”

Yamaguchi felt himself flinch as his smile faltered. Had he just stared death in the face and not known it? “I-I see,” he barely got out. His mind wandered to the egg still nestled on his back feeling a bit guilty for allowing it close to such danger.

“I mean the first time we tried was during a competition and the people in the front row almost lost their eyebrows,” Noya carried on as if it were some joke.

Yamaguchi's smile dropped at this wondering if Noya really was a seasoned showcase performer. Something as reckless as setting audience’s eyebrows ablaze had to be a disqualification. He looked on at the smaller trainer in disbelief but choose not to verbalize his thoughts. 

“Hey, don’t give me that look!” Noya snapped, causing Yamaguchi to jump back a bit. “The second round of the Showcase is the most important, ya know, and if you don’t end it with a bang there is no way you’ll ever win the key,” he carried on in a way that made Yamaguchi feel like the smaller of the two once more.

“Second round?” Yamaguchi murmured, hoping he did not seem completely clueless. Yamaguchi knew next to nothing about showcases.

“Yeah, the second round of the showcase is where performers and pokemon perform a free routine just like what you saw us do now,” Noya explained with his chest puffed out. 

“If the second round is the performance than what is the first round?” Yamaguchi asked.

“The first round you normally perform some predetermined task but the second round is where it is at,” Noya sang with stars in his eyes. “In the second round you really get to show off how awesome you and your Pokemon are!”

“And the judges vote on the best routine?” Yamaguchi guessed with a nod.

“Not just the judges but also the audience. Everyone votes on who they thought was the best! Even people watching at home!” Noya spoked as if he were imagining himself on a stage in front of a large crowd.

“Wow!” Yamaguchi gasped as he got swept away in Noya passion. The trees and small stream melted away as he too also felt as if he were standing in front of a large audience. A sense of nerve and awe overtook him at the idea of performing for such a crowd. It shook him but somewhere deep down it also ignited a spark he had never felt before.

“Those stars in your eyes are that of a natural performer,” Noya laughed, nudging Yamaguchi out of his daydream. “You’re not actually an opponent spying on me, are you?’

“What? No way!” Yamaguchi sputtered, unsure what Noya was going on about. “I came here to join the league,” he insisted weakly.

“It’s a shame,” Noya hummed as he looked from Yamaguchi to his two Pokemon. “You should give showcases a try someday,” he carried on as he made eye contact with Yamaguchi. An odd longing filled Noya’s eye as if he had just seen an unfair injustice.

The moment left Yamaguchi feeling very out of place. How could Noya be so forward. They had only just met yet he talked as if this were something he’d been pushing Yamaguchi to do for all his life. “W-well, maybe someday,” Yamaguchi weakly replied, feeling pressured to acknowledge the idea.

“Yeah, well, only do it if you want to,” Noya smiled, giving Yamaguchi’s shoulder a strong, stinging pat. The strange atmosphere all but vanished.

It was in that moment that the bushed from just behind Yamaguchi rustled. Startled, Yamaguchi jumped back, almost behind Noya. Noya and his team got into a stance as if they were ready to jump whatever it was. Before anything more cloud be done a person emerged from the bushes.

“Tsukki!” Yamaguchi cheered, jumping out from behind Noya. Popplio joined in with a few excited bubbles.

Tsukishima looked to Yamaguchi with a momentary flash of worry than relife and than annoyance. The annoyance settled in as his eyes wandered to Noya who still looked ready to fight. All the while he said nothing.

“Who do you think you are sneaking up on us like that!” Noya snapped as he took no time in sizing Tsukishima up.

“I heard a loud explosion and assumed the woods were under attack, and like any other person with a brain, I made to evacuate,” Tsukishima shrugged as he brushed a leaf from his hair.

“Well, this is a funny place to evacuate to,” Noya snapped as he called Tsukishima out on his reasoning. “Who are you anyways?” he demanded, taking a brave step into Tsukishima’s bubble.

Tsukishima’s eye flinched in annoyance.

“Th-this is my friend, Tsukishima,” Yamaguchi cut in, physically inserting himself between the two. “He was probably just looking for me since I often get myself lost,” he carried on, his nerves still on high.

“Friend, huh?” Noya hummed in suspicion as he looked around Yamaguchi at Tsukishima. He was not in the least bit convinced.

“Got a problem?” Tsukishima asked in a pompous tone. He looked to Noya as if he wanted nothing to do with him.

Steam began to pour from Noya’s ears.

“Sorry if the explosion scared you, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi cut in once more. “Noya here was showing me his showcase routine.”

“I didn’t know blowing up a forest was an acceptable routine,” Tsukishima comments, not missing a beat.

“What was that!?” Noya hissed.

“Tsukki…” Yamaguchi whined, looking to his friend in hopes he would stop. They held eye contact for a beat before Tsukki released a defeated ‘tch’.

Noya looked on at the two in mild amazement. He hadn’t expected the taller trainer to back down so quickly. Perhaps he had judged him too quickly.

“Well, never mind,” Noya smiled brightly, in hopes to show Yamaguchi that no harm was done. “I take it your real reason for coming here was to pick up your friend?”

Tsukishima looked to Yamaguchi, a long silence filled the air. “He couldn't find his way out of a paper bag,” Tsukishima confirmed a bit too honestly.

“Hey, I’m not that bad!” Yamaguchi squacked, his cheeks going pink. 

“You’d still be at the airport if not for me,” Tsukishima carried on with a shrug.

Noya could not help but take note at how Tsukishima talked with much less salt and sass in his tone when addressing Yamaguchi.

“I would have eventually found my way,” Yamaguchi mumbled as the pink grew in his cheeks. Popplio comically barked from beside him doing nothing to help.

“I guess you two really are friends,” Noya laughed, causing both Yamaguchi and Tsukishima to look at him in various expressions of confusion. 

A silence hung in the air that only Yamaguchi and Tsukishima felt was awkward. Noya smiled on as if he were proud of the two’s strong friendship. Tsukishima shifted uncomfortably next to Yamaguchi signaling he was quite done with the interaction. Yamaguchi heard the signal loud and clear yet part of him tugged to talk more with Noya about showcases.

“Well, it’s getting kind of late,” Yamaguchi inevitably mumbled, shifting a bit himself as he spoke.

“You’re not leaving already, are you?” Noya frowed. “I still have more moves I wanted to show you!” he carried on, making several heroic poses as he spoke.

“Not interested,” Tsukishima mumbled. Yamaguchi felt the need to laugh at the crack but held it in.

“I wasn’t talking to you, Goldilocks,” Noya teased, giving an almost challenging smile.

Yamaguchi felt an odd tug from both trainers. Tsukki wanting them to return to camp immediately, while Noya’s intense stare begging him to stay. Popplio barked happily from beside him, most likely mistaking the atmosphere form something exciting. 

“He’s not interested!” Tsukishima reiterated before Yamaguchi could give his reply. “If your tricks are anything like the last one, he’d most definitely get his head blown off.”

Yamaguchi once again felt a tickle of laughter at Tsukishima’s sarcastic tone but his internal conflict didn’t allow himself to smile.

“Maybe you should allow him to decide for himself,” Noya hummed in almost an accusing tone. 

This seemed to upset Tsukishima. He was none too good at receiving criticism and Yamaguchi knew he hated it when people assumed Tsukki pushed him around. Both he and Tsukki knew it not true but the assumption came up more often than not. Tsukki released a small ‘tch’ and looked about ready to walk off.

“I’d love to see more of your tricks, Noya,” Yamaguchi began timidly, choosing his words carefully. “But I really need to get back to camp and prepare lunch and dinner,” he explained. It was true. He did have other chores he needed to get done and a very small part of him did fear that Noya would blow his head off with his next trick. He also had a sinking feeling that loud explosions was no good for a developing egg.

“Well, if you insist,” Noya groned in disappointment. Both his pokemon seemed to deflate on the spot as well.

“Yes, we insist,” Tsukishima mumbled from beside Yamaguchi.

“Maybe the next time we meet you can show me more?” Yamaguchi suggested as an ultimatum. He really did want to talk more of showcases with Noya.

“I guess that would work,” Noya nodded, back to his normal chipper self. “Next time we meet I can show you how to set up a good routine so you can try it out for yourself.”

Yamaguchi felt his cheeks go pink as Tsukishima looked at him in interest and mild confusion. “Oh, I’d like that. Thanks!” Yamaguchi awkwardly laughed trying his best not to fall to Tsukishima’s intrigues glance.

“I’m always down to help new blooming trainers,” Noya laughed, giving Yamaguchi a thumbs up.

Tsukishima dramatically rolled his eyes.

A small excited flame grew in Yamaguchi’s chest but he did his best to hide his enthuseasum. The sensation was quite new to him but he liked how it felt.

With that Yamaguchi once more thanked Noya for showing him his routine and exchanged their contact information. As he and Tsukishima walked back to camp, Yamaguchi could not help but feel an odd wave of excitement. Noya’s routine played over in his mind again and again. Though it had been quite reckless, the routine had filled Yamaguchi with wonder and amazement. As Yamaguchi silently walked beside Tsukishima, he wondered if he too would be able to invoke such emotions in others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go! Chapter 11 is over! Good old Noya knows how to give us a good exciting chapter. He really is a good senpai to Yama. But what is this! This spark our Yama feels! What could it mean? There is only one way to find out.
> 
> Chapter 12 should be up next weekend as always so please keep an eye out for it. Chapter 12 has not been beta read. I need a new beta reader and if you are interested in being my new beta than please let me know. You can message me on Tumblr (@pastaprincess). Send me a private message. I upload my chapters on Google docs so you may need a gmail account to do this job. I have several chapters that need to be beta read (about 5) so at first it may be at lot at first but after that I normally get a chapter done once a week that needs a beta. If you are interested please let me know! You can also message me on here.
> 
> Even if you are not wanting to be my beta I would still love to hear from you. Let me know what you think of this chapter and the fic as a whole. I love to hear from my readers. As always thank you all so much for the follows, kudos, bookmarks, follows, comments and reviews. I love to hear from you all so don’t be afraid to speak up!
> 
> That is all for now so see you next chapter!


	12. The Festival: Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! Here is Chapter 12 just in time for the end of the weekend. I hope you all enjoy. This chapter is the first part of a three parter so enjoy!
> 
> I found myself a new beta reader. They go by the name of Killer_Squids and can be found on AO3 here (https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killer_Squids). They can also be found on tumblr under the name land-banana. They have done a wonderful job with betaing for me so if you have time please give there page a look.
> 
> Without further ado here is chapter 12!

Yamaguchi and Tsukishima awoke that morning to find what seemed to be the beginnings of a festival being set up outside the Pokemon center. The two had arrived late to the Pokemon center the night before and had gone right to bed. They had spent the past two days traveling nonstop, and both desperately needed a bit of rest. Both had slept so soundly that neither had heard the crew come in and set up the many festival tents early that morning.

“Wow, I guess it’s a good thing we made reservations to stay the night here for the next few days,” Yamaguchi hummed in excitement as he watched the setup from the Pokemon center window. He gently polished his dear egg as he spoke, taking care not to be too rough despite his excitement.

“This just means we are going to have to deal with a lot of fuss,” Tsukishima muttered from beside Yamaguchi. He had made it clear right off the bat that he was not too happy about the festival.

“I wonder what the festival is for,” Yamaguchi mused as he held his egg close to his chest. It was odd to have a festival such as this at a small Pokemon center in the middle of two towns.

“Doesn’t matter,” Tsukishima replied flatly. “I’m going to pass. I need to do a bit of training myself, and a festival will just distract me.”

Yamaguchi felt himself deflate a bit. He had really hoped Tsukki would at least go for a bit. He wasn’t one to go to such events alone. There were a lot of people and it always overwhelmed him. He always felt pathetic when he went alone and it only reminded him of how few friends he really had. 

“Hey, I didn’t expect to see you two here,” a kind voice greeted from behind Yamaguchi and Tsukishima.

Yamaguchi nearly leaped from his seat as he quickly turned to find the kind smile of Yachi. Yachi stepped back a bit not expecting her greeting to startle Yamaguchi so much. She mouthed an apologetic sorry that Yamauchi immediately shook off.

“Yachi, it’s good to see you!” Yamaguchi smiled in greeting.

Tsukishima, on the other hand looked around the room in growing irritation.

“They’re not here,” Yachi half laughed half sighed. “It’s just me this time.”

Tsukishima immediately relaxed upon hearing that. He sighed an “oh thank Arceus,” that caused both Yamaguchi and Yachi to giggle.

“What brings you here alone?” Yamaguchi asked as he scooted to make room for Yachi to join them.

“I came for the festival,” Yachi replied, taking a seat between the two. “Kageyama and Hinata decided to do a bit more training in the woods.”

“Oh, so you know what this festival is all about?” Yamaguchi pressed in much interest.

 

“Yeah, it’s a festival being held by the showcase committee,” Yachi smiled in excitement. 

Yamaguchi’s eyes lit up with stars upon hearing this. The small flame from before made itself present yet again. This all did not go unnoticed by Tsukishima.

“A showcase festival,” Yamaguchi cheered in an excitement that came from nowhere.

“Yes! And my first performance is going to be in just a few days and I was hoping that coming here would help me brush up my act,” Yachi carried on upon seeing Yamaguchi’s enthusiasm on the subject. “They are going to have workshops of all sort,” Yachi spoke fast and faster as Yamaguchi leaned in closer to hear more. “And the best part is that she is going to be here,” she swooned.

“She?” Yamaguchi pressed in excitement, wanting to know who ‘she’ was.

“Kiyoko,” Yachi barely squeaked out. “Kiyoko Shimizu is going to be here in the flesh!”

“Wow!” Yamaguchi gasped, not knowing who this Kiyoko was but not wanting to be rude.

“I really want to meet her,” Yachi shook in excitement. “Maybe I will even get her blessing.”

“Who is Kiyoko?” Yamaguchi could not help but ask, wanting in on the excitement. 

Yachi seemed almost insulted by the question but shook it off quickly. “Kiyoko is last years Kalos Queen!!!” Yachi explained with much gusto. “She is the best, most talented, most beautiful performer in all of the world,” she pressed on, leaning in closer and closer to Yamaguchi as she spoke. “And she is going to be here today to not only give a small performance but also to have a Q&A.”

“Wow!” Yamaguchi gasped. The thought of being in the presence of a winner shook him with awe. He hoped this Kiyoko girl was nice. “I’d like to see her performance,” he carried on, secretly yearning to know more about showcases and what they were all about.

“You’ll come with me to the festival, then?” Yachi pressed, once again leaning far too close to Yamaguchi. 

Yamaguchi held his egg close as he glanced up at Tsukki. Tsukishima shrugged to show he didn’t care what Yamaguchi chose to do. “Yeah, why not,” Yamaguchi decided.

“Really!?” Yachi gasped in relief. “Thank goodness. I was so scared to go alone. It’s a good thing I stumbled across you two.”

Yamaguchi could not help but chuckle at his spazzy friend. “Yeah, I hate going to these kinds of things alone too,” he admitted.

“Together is always better! Numbers make us stronger,” Yachi cheered, tossing her small fist into the air. It was then that Yachi’s eyes caught sight of the egg in Yamaguchi’s arms. “Is that an egg!?”

“Yeah,” Yamaguchi hummed, holding it protectively close to himself. “I got it from a friend,” he explained awkwardly. It felt odd calling Shimada a friend, but he didn’t know what else to say.

“Wow, do you know what it is?” Yachi gasped as he reached a hand out to stroke it, which Yamaguchi allowed. She was very gentle as she did so. “It’s so warm,” she whispered.

“I wasn’t told what was inside but I have my suspicions,” Yamaguchi nodded, looking to the egg with much affection.

“Raising an egg seems so scary,” Yachi admitted as she stroked it some more.

“I thought so too but it’s going a lot better than I expected,” Yamaguchi hummed as he gently pressed the egg to his chest.

“I bet it’s because you are a good mommy,” Yachi giggled at the show of affection.

“He is a good mommy,” Tsukishima agreed, thought Yamaguchi expected half of it was to get a reaction out of him.

Yamaguchi's ears went pink from the comment. “I just did what the books said,” he insisted, not used to this kind of attention.

“Well, you’re doing a wonderful job,” Yachi cheered brightly.

The pink spread from Yamaguchi’s ears to his cheeks. He distracted himself by looking to the egg and giving it a gentle rub as he squeaked out a shy “Thanks.” 

Tsukishima suddenly stood up. From where he sat, Yamaguchi could not see the tint of pink upon his cheeks. “I better be on my way. I want to be out of here before the festivities start,” Tsukishima announced.

“Oh, you’re not going to join us?” Yachi frowned.

“I have things to do,” Tsukishima replied coolly, though there was no scorn in his tone.

“Will you be back for dinner?” Yamaguchi asked, looking up to his best friend.

“I should be back before sunset,” Tsukishima confirmed. With that, he walked off silently.

Both Yachi and Yamaguchi watched him as he went. Yamaguchi wished that Tsukki had stayed to enjoy the day with them but knew better than to expect that of him. Tsukki was not into large crowds and most likely had little interest in showcases. Yamaguchi, on the other hand was warming up to the newly found sport.

“I have a brochure if you want to look at what sorts of events are going to take place today,” Yachi said, pulling out a pamphlet from her bag.

“Oh!” Yamaguchi hooted in interest, leaning over to take a look.

Yachi opened the pamphlet and rambled off about the different activities to be held that day. There was a seminar for first-time contestants, a beginner cooking competition, a fashion competition and even a trivia game. Yamaguchi hummed and awed as Yachi rambled about all the booths and guests that would arrive, all of which Yamaguchi found to be quite fascinating and new.

“We better head over and get a spot at the seminar before it fills up,” Yachi said as she closed up the pamphlet.

Yamaguchi was surprised to see that a whole thirty minutes had passed as they discussed the pamphlet. “Oh, right! Let me just get my egg situated,” he replied in haste.

It wasn’t long before the two had made their way to the flurry of tents. Several of the tents were just opening. Yamaguchi saw that some were selling various pokemon care times, while others sold exotic ingredients and others sold fashion items. Other tents focused more on information explaining the best way to care for your pokemon. All were wonderful and exciting and Yamaguchi could not help but jump in and get a look at each booth. But that would have to wait until after the opening ceremony.

The two trainers finally came to a small open area lined with chairs just outside the forest. In front of the chairs was a portable wooden stage. Upon the stage sat a long table, some chairs, and a few microphones. Not many trainers were sprinkled amongst the chairs, so Yamaguchi and Yachi were able to easily find seats near the front.

“I guess we are a little early,” Yachi giggled sheepishly.

“Better early than standing,” Yamaguchi shrugged. Being a nervous person himself he understood her haste to want to get a seat. Yachi smiled at his understanding.

It wasn’t long before all the chairs were filled. Yamaguchi was relieved that they had come early for soon there was only standing room available. He looked around the area, wondering if he would see Noya, but didn’t spot the excitable trainer anywhere. A seminar didn’t seem like something Noya would go for anyways.

Yamaguchi ended his search when someone walked on stage and the crowd began to quiet down. A mousy looking man with square glasses, short, dark hair and a kind smile stood in the center of the stage. He looked out over the crowd as if he were speaking into the atmosphere. The man’s giddiness seeped into Yamaguchi’s skin making him also feel in a similar way.

“Welcome everyone,” the man spoke into the microphone, his voice echoing over the crowd and into the trees. “My name is Takeda and I will be your MC for today's event,” he introduced himself in such a way that it made all who heard it feel calm and welcome. “As many of you know this is the 10th biggest Showcase seminar. We will have all sorts of events for you to partake in as well as seminars for you to learn from,” he explained, smiling brightly as he did so. “Before we carry on with the schedule for the day I would like to introduce you all to today guests.”

It was in that moment that Yachi clasped on to Yamaguchi's arm in excitement. She made a squeaking noise from deep within her throat as her small hands began to cut off the blood circulation to Yamaguchi’s forearm. The vice-like grip caused Yamaguchi to stiffen but he dare not pull away. He did his best to focus on the stage in hopes to distract himself from the discomfort.

“First I would like to introduce last year’s third-place Kalos Showcase finalist, Sugawara Koushi, who is best known for his skill in the kitchen and the meticulous care he takes when grooming his pokemon,” Takeda introduced as an older trainer with gray hair and a beauty mark just under his eye entered the stage. Alongside the trainer walked a very fluffy Cinccino.

“Thank you very much for having me today,” Sugawara began once he reached center stage with Takeda. Cinccino stood beside him, her perfectly groomed fur shining in the sun. 

Yamaguchi could not help but feel a bit of a blush coming on as he looked upon Sugawara. He’d never seen a man so beautiful in all his life. Just being in the presence of Sugawara set the whole crowd to feeling so refreshed it was as if they’d all simultaneously taken a drink of cool, sweet, and fresh spring water. 

“I am looking forward to getting to know all of you,” Sugawara ended with a bright smile that filled everyone's hearts with warmth. His Cinccino gave an adorable cry from beside Sugawara. The whole crowd clapped loudly as Sugawara and Cinccino turned to take a seat at the long table. 

Takeda thanked Sugawara before taking his place back on center stage. “Our next guest is last year’s Kalos Showcase finalist, Oikawa Tooru,” Takeda announces and upon doing so more than half of the females in the crowd erupted into screams.

Yamaguchi almost jumped out of his seat from the sudden eruption of noise. Yachi’s grip on his arm loosened and he turned to find Yachi rolling her eyes like she’d expected this to happen. Yamaguchi looked around in confusion. Several of the other males in the crowd looked put off, but most of the girls were squealing with anticipation. Why was everyone so excited? Was this person really that big of a deal?

Just then a man whose looks were nothing less than perfect entered the stage. The squeaking fans grew into loud cheers of “Oikawa!” as Oikawa took center stage. His perfectly styled, soft brown hair blew beautifully in the wind as his shining chocolate-colored eyes looked over the adoring crowd. All the while, a glamorous Roserade followed his every move, including his heartthrob smile.

“Thank you so much for having me. I am so very excited to get to know all of you,” Oikawa greeted sweetly. His smile shone like diamonds so much so that it blind all who looked upon him. 

Despite its brightness, there was something about this trainer’s smile that left Yamaguchi uneasy. While Sugawara had filled him with a happy warmth, this Oikawa made him feel as if he had eaten far too much buttercream frosting. Yamaguchi made a mental note to stay away from the man for the time being.

Takeda once again took center stage while Oikawa took his seat next to Sugawara. Yamaguchi’s eyes lingered on the two trainers as Sugawara stiffly greeted Oikawa. Both men shone so beautifully under the fresh spring sun. It left Yamaguchi feeling inferior and hyper-aware of his unkempt hair and freckled cheeks.

“Last but not least, I would like to introduce our final guest,” Takeda’s voice boomed with cheer.

From the seat next to him, Yamaguchi could hear Yachi whisper a high pitched “It’s her!”

“Everyone, please welcome the current Kalos Queen, Kiyoko Shimizu!” Takeda bowed as he motioned to the side of the stage.

From beside Yamaguchi, Yachi cheered so loudly, he thought she could rival all of Oikawa’s fangirls.

Yamaguchi felt his breath hitch as the most stunning woman he had ever seen glided onto the stage. She had glorious and silky jet black hair, dark mysterious eyes and her body curved in such a way that it seemed almost goddess-like. Just below her lip sat the perfect beauty mark that only enhanced the milkyness of her soft skin. Yamaguchi was so taken by the woman that he barely noticed the Gardevoir that followed close after her.

Once on center stage, Kiyoko turned to face the crowd. She stood meekly, but something about her blew Yamaguchi away that no other person had ever done before. “Thank you for having me,” Kiyoko spoke in such a soft and gentle tone that Yamaguchi’s heart nearly burst from his chest.

“Thank you very much, Miss. Kiyoko,” Takeda hummed as Kiyoko took a seat at the large table between Oikawa and Sugawara. 

Sugawara greeted Kiyoko with a shining smile that she returned. The moment was so comfortable between the two that all who saw it suspected them to be old friends. Oikawa, on the other hand, gave a forced polite smile before snubbing both of them, which neither Kiyoko nor Sugawara seemed bothered by. 

“As I mentioned before, today we’ll have many activities available for you all, with each one being specifically designed to help ready all you new, blooming performers!” Takeda cheered. “So don’t forget to sign up for the events so you don’t miss out.”

The ceremony then ended with Takeda listing several of the panels and activities that would be held that day. All the while Yamaguchi hugged the incubator close as he listened along. He took note of a baking seminar that would be held by Sugawara later that day as well as a Q&A with Kiyoko he suspected Yachi would not want to miss. Before long, Takeda ended the ceremony and set the crowd loss to enjoy the festivities.

“Come on, Yamaguchi, if we don’t hurry, all of the slots for the panels will fill up,” Yachi said hastily, practically dragging Yamaguchi out of his seat.

Yamaguchi didn’t argue with the girl. Just looking at her face, he could tell she was in no mood to argue. With both trainers being clumsy by nature, they stumbled through the crowd as best as they could to the signup station.

The station was crowded by the time they got to it. It took several moments for the staff to get the rowdy trainers under control. All the while Yamaguchi did his best to protect his precious egg amongst the jostling people. Before long the crowd was organized into a tidy line and unfortunately for Yamaguchi and Yachi, they had ended up near the end.

“How could this have happened!?” Yachi cried as she peeked around the line to the far-off sign up table. “We got here so early and yet here we are at the end of the line.”

“Don’t worry, Yachi,” Yamaguchi comforted the best he could. “I’m sure there will still be spots for us by the time we get to the front,” he insisted. Part of him suspected the vast majority of the crowd was there to join a panel with Oikawa.

Yachi gave a small and dissatisfied hum but didn’t say much more after that. The rest of their waite was spent with her nervously looking to the front of the line while Yamaguchi fussed over his egg. To his relief, it looked as good as new despite the shuffle they had just been in.

Before long, the two had made it to the front of the line. The staff members at the table, consisting of two very flustered women, greeted them with very tired smiles. Yachi sped fast to the one on the right while Yamaguchi settled beside her.

“Sorry but all the panels led by Oikawa are full,” one of the ladies said reluctantly, mistaking Yachi’s urgency as one of his fans.

Yachi seemed to catch on to this pretty fast, and went quite red in the face. “That’s fine!” she barely choked out. “B-But are there any spots left in Kiyoko’s panels?” she squeaked hopefully.

The lady hummed as she looked through several papers. “It looks like there are a few slots open for the Q&A with her if you’d like to join that.”

“We would!” Yachi insisted far too loudly, making everyone, even Yamaguchi, recoil in shock.

“A-Alright than,” the lady sputtered, though she smiled nonetheless. “Will that be for both of you?” she asked, looking to Yamaguchi, who gave a small nod and said nothing more.

“Each attendee it able to join two special events. Is there any other you would like to join?” The other lady calmly informed them.

“Since I picked the Q&A why don’t you pick the other one, Yamaguchi,” Yachi insisted as if it were her way of saying sorry for her behavior.

“Oh, well, what slots are left,” Yamaguchi asked, his tone a little awkward and unsure.

“Well, there is a flower arranging panel, a grooming panel and quite a few spots open at the baking panel,” The lady closest to Yamaguchi read off.

The last option most definitely sparked Yamaguchi’s interest. “The baking panel, if that’s okay with you, Yachi,” Yamaguchi decided after a moment’s thought.

“Sounds good to me!” Yachi cheered.

With that, the two signed up for their two events before leaving the table. By the time they had finished, it was already well into the afternoon, and both of them were feeling it in the pits of their stomachs.

“Shall we do lunch? We still have an hour before the baking panel starts,” Yachi suggested.

The two scoped out a patch of grass under a large tree just bordering the forest. Yamaguchi called out Popplio and Swirlix while Yachi called out a very friendly Bulbasaur and a playful Dedenne. Yamaguchi had insisted Yachi’s pokemon to partake in dining on his homemade pokemon food, and before long all four pokemon were getting along as if they had known each other for ages.

“Wow, I’ve never seen either of them eat so fast,” Yachi hummed as she watched her two pokemon go to town on their meal.

“It’s a family recipe,” Yamaguchi shrugged, feeling his a wave of awkwardness wash over him. He turned his attention to his sandwich in hope to distract himself.

“And you made all these muffins as well!” Yachi grinned as she took a bite from a spiced oran berry muffin Yamaguchi had offered her. “They’re so sweet and fluffy!”

“They’re nothing special. I made them early this morning in the pokemon center’s kitchen,” Yamaguchi explained, as if it were a normal thing for a tainer to do so early in the morning. “They’re really quick and easy. Takes less than an hour, if I’m being honest.”

“Man, I really wish I could bake this well,” Yachi sighed before going in for another muffin. “It would really make these showcases much easier for me.”

“What do you mean?” Yamaguchi asked, not understanding what baking had to do with showcases.

“Baking is a very common first task for showcases,” Yachi sighed, but you could see in her eyes that she was enjoying her muffin.

“They have baking in showcases?” Yamaguchi gasped, nearly knocking over his bottle of juice as he did so.

“Yeah, they have all sorts of challenges for the first round,” Yachi nodded before she paused to think. “Sometimes it’s baking, sometimes it’s fashion, I’ve even heard of trivia questions,” she listed off. “There are all sorts of things depending on the showcase.”

“Wow, I had no clue, to be honest,” Yamaguchi chuckled as he fiddled with his half-eaten sandwich. “Do you have to do all these for the first round?”

“Oh no,” Yachi giggled at the thought. “They pick just one. You compete against two others and whoever passes that round out of the three goes to round 2.”

“Does the audience decide who passes round one?” Yamaguchi carried on, his interest growing more and more with each question asked.

“No, the judges are the ones who decided for round one,” Yachi said with a small nod. “But round two is when you perform a routine and the audience, as well as the judges, vote for the winner.”

“Wow, it sounds so complicated,” Yamaguchi admitted, though it didn’t snuff out his interest in the least. If he were to be honest with himself, it only made his interest grow. 

“Yeah, I’m kind of nervous, to be honest,” Yachi agreed. “I plan to debut in my first showcase in a few weeks. I’m still working on my routine for it,” she nervously admitted.

“I’m sure you are going to do just fine, Yachi,” Yamaguchi comforted. Yachi was one of the cutest people he had ever met and that alone gave her loads of appeal.

“I just hope I don’t flub it up on stage,” Yachi giggled.

“I know the feeling,” Yamaguchi hummed, his thought going back to his last battle at Viola’s gym. “But, you’re a smart girl and both your pokemon seem very capable,” Yamaguchi carried on, his tone more chipper. “I’m sure you three will win your first showcase in no time.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right, these two really are reliable little guys,” Yachi hummed, giving her Bulbasaur a scratch behind the ear.

Yamaguchi smiled as he watched trainer and pokemon bond for a moment. He really did have faith in Yachi. Even if she didn’t realize it herself, he could tell she was built for showcases.

“Wow, look at the time,” Yachi squeaked, looking at her watch as if she’d just seen it fuse with her arm. “If we don’t get moving, we’ll miss our first panel!”

With that, the two trainers scrambled to clean up their lunch and made their way back to the festivities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here we go. Our dear Yama is getting some more experience in the showcase relm. I wonder what this festival has in store for him. What will he gain from his time at this festival? Only time can tell!
> 
> As always, thank you all so much for being such loyal readers. I love to hear from you all so please do leave a review or comment. Let me know what you think thus far! Also, thank you all for the kudos, bookmarks, follows! All of it really lets me know how you are all enjoying the story thus far. The feedback really helps keep me going!
> 
> Well, I hope to see you all next chapter!


	13. The Festival: Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! Chapter 13! Are you guys ready to see what this festival has to offer out two young trainers. What will Yamaguchi learn? Will anything exciting happen? Let’s read and find out :D
> 
> I found myself a new beta reader. They go by the name of Killer_Squids and can be found on AO3 here (https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killer_Squids). They can also be found on tumblr under the name land-banana. They have done a wonderful job with betaing for me so if you have time please give there page a look.
> 
> Without further ado, chapter 13!!!

When Yamaguchi and Yachi had made it to the gathering area of their first panel of the day, they were surprised to see that most of the seats were open. They looked around only to find a few people sitting near the front three rows and the back four rows were completely empty. Both took seats in the second row from the front due to Yamaguchi insisting the front row being too close for his comfort.

As the two settled in, Yamaguchi set his incubator on his lap and took in his surroundings. At the front sat three tables that looked to be set up with some portable stoves and possibly portable mini ovens. Yamaguchi had never cooked in a mini oven before. He didn’t even know they existed. He pondered for a moment why there would be three tables with such a setup. Perhaps the three guests were going to cook for them. 

It was when a loud group of squealing fans in the distance sounded off that Yamaguchi remembered that the three guests were giving panels at the same time. It now made sense why this panel was so empty. Oikawa’s panel must be going on at the same time. That being said, who would be cooking today?

“I hope it starts soon,” Yachi hummed from beside Yamaguchi. “I can’t wait to see Sugawara’s decorations. He always made the best Poké Puff out of anyone competing last year.”

“Do you think that's what he is going to talk about today?” Yamaguchi said thoughtfully. “I assumed we would be talking about poke-chow or something.”

“No, no,” Yachi giggled at the idea. “In showcases, they tend to make contestant bake more extravagant things. Something that can be decorated.”

“Oh, I guess that makes more sense,” Yamaguchi sheepishly agreed. “I used to make Poké Puffs every now and then with my mother and grandmother at the bakery they owned.”

“What? Your family owned a bakery?” Yachi gasped, leaning into Yamaguchi’s space. “That explains the muffins!”

“Well, sort of,” Yamaguchi awkwardly replied. “Back in Alola I grew up on a houseboat and we would take it to a different island each day and sell our baked goods.”

“Wow! A houseboat!” Yachi gasped, the tone of her voice getting higher with each word. “That’s so cool!”

“Yeah, I guess,” Yamaguchi laughed, his tone none too sure. “But everyone from Seafolk Village lives on a houseboat.”

“The whole village is made of houseboats?” Yachi almost shouted. “That's so cool! Back in Cerulean City everyone just lives in plain old houses,” she spoke with a sigh.

“Being on a boat has its ups but I always got so scared when a storm would come,” Yamaguchi reminisced. “We’d have to tie everything down and dock the boat best we could and get jostled around during the worst of the storms.”

“That sounds horrible,” Yachi lurched as she imagined herself becoming quite seas sick.

It was in that moment that Sugawara and his Cinccino walked onto the small stage, cutting their conversation short. The chairs surrounding the small stage only held about ten people, including Yamaguchi and Yachi, but Sugawara did not seem to be bothered by this in the lease. He looked out over the crowd and smiled at each one of them. When he did so to Yamaguchi it made Yamaguchi’s heart go warm as if he were back at home with his grandmother baking a batch of cookies. Despite never talking with him, Yamaguchi already like this Sugawara.

“Thank you all very much for coming to my cooking panel,” Sugawara started, his smile still as warm and inviting as ever. “Today we will go over a few easy recipes, some decorating techniques and some of you will even have a chance to partake in an impromptu bake-off.”

All three of the things listed caught Yamaguchi’s attention. There was no such thing as too many recipes, he was weak when it came to decorating and watching a small competition sounds quite pleasant. From beside him, Yamaguchi was surprised to see Yachi with a pen and notepad in her hand, at the ready to take notes.

It didn’t take long for Sugawara to jump into his presentation. He paced back and forth stopping every now and then to address a new section of the small crowd, making sure each and every onlooker got just as much of his attention as everyone else. As he spoke, his Cinccino made herself quite comfortable on the center table. Her fluffy gray fur shined under the sun and looked like clouds as the wind blew through it. Both it and Sugawara took to the stage so naturally, their confidence being something Yamaguchi had yet to ever experience.

“As I am sure many of you know, the first stage of each showcase consists of a themed performance,” Sugawara started, his voice capturing all within earshot. “Each themed performance comes with its own criteria and no two are ever the same. This goes for any sort of cooking, baking or food themed performances.”

As Sugawara spoke, Yamaguchi found himself enveloped by what he was hearing. It seemed to him that almost every day he was learning loads of things about Showcases since meeting with Shimada. Was it just a coincidence or perhaps a sign? The thought left his mind just as quickly as he did his best to keep up with Sugawara.

“Some may argue that the themed performances don’t warrant as much preparation as the second rounds freestyle performance but you can practice your performance routine until your ears turn blue but if you don’t pass that first round you will never be able to execute your routine,” Sugawara spoke with a sassy smile as he addressed the small crowd. “You might think it’s impossible to prepare for the themed contests being that you never know what the theme will be until the day of competition,” as Sugawara spoke his smile grew. It was as if he had a large secret he was about to spill and everyone listening was at the edge of their seats to hear it.

Yamaguchi felt himself being drawn in as he unconsciously scooted forward. For someone who was not a performer himself, he could not help but get sucked in by the perfectly executed tensions that Sugawara had built. Even Yachi, who had been scribbling away at her notepad, was now looking to Sugawara with pleading eyes begging him to spill whatever it was he’d kept secret for so long.

This tension seemed to amuse Sugawara for he gave a very small laugh, his nose wrinkling a bit as he did so. “All you have to do is learn a little bit about everything,” Sugawara vaguely admitted. 

Several people in the crowd, including Yamaguchi, released signs of disappointment. Learning about everything was next to impossible. How was he expected to do that? That is, if he were a performer, which he is not.

“I know what you are all thinking, but it’s not as impossible as you might think,” Sugawara carried on thoughtfully. “Take baking for example. Some performances my ask for you to focus on taste, while others may focus on decoration and there are even some who focus on utilization of secret ingredients,” Sugawara listed off, pausing to allow the crowd to think it all through. “Due to not knowing what they might want from you before going into any showcase it good to make sure you study all sides of any given subject.”

Yamaguchi hummed in understanding. He understood what Sugawara was getting at but it seemed next to impossible. Learning about one subject, such as baking, was doable, but showcases contained more than just baking. There was also fashion, agility, trivia and other things that Yamaguchi probably didn’t know about yet. The mere idea set him on edge and several times he had to remind himself that he was not a showcase contestant and needn’t worry about all this.

“Work at it every day. Go out and learn as much as you can, and you will find that each showcase you perform in will come to you more naturally,” Sugawara carried on in encouragement. “And to start you off on your path to knowledge I will teach you a bit about showcases and baking,” he finished, with a confident arm pump.

Yamaguchi could not help but give a small wiggle in his seat. The nerves he felt as he listened to Sugawara were nothing like what he felt when facing a gym. He felt nervous but excited. It was like a heat in his stomach that made him want to get up and do something. The feeling was foreign to Yamaguchi, and he didn’t quite know what word to give it. Yamaguchi glanced to his side to see Yachi’s eyes glued on Sugawara, her pen and notepad long forgotten. 

Sugawara spent the next hour or so going over the basics of baking and the sort of things they were expected to make when in a showcase. Most of the baking tips he listed off Yamaguchi already knew by heart, but he didn’t mind hearing it again. Several times he found himself nodding along in agreement with the tips Sugawara listed off and when they got to the portion of using ingredients, Yamaguchi borrowed Yachi’s notepad and scribbled away. He had been so engrossed by the presentation that once it was over it had only felt like 10 minutes had passed.

“Now, to end today’s panel I would like three volunteers, please,” Sugawara hummed as he looked over the small crowd. “Who would be interested in testing their basking skills.”

Yachi lurched so violently from beside Yamaguchi she almost fell from where she sat. It took Yamaguchi several seconds to realize she had grabbed him by the arm and thrusted it high up into the air. Yamaguchi looked at his hand, surprised to see it up. He hadn’t even had time to process everything before Sugawara pointed him out.

“You with the incubator, thank you for volunteering,” Sugawara smiled as he looked directly at Yamaguchi.

Yachi released his arm with a small clap before looking at him apologetically. “You’re such a good baker, I couldn't help myself,” she whispered before taking Yamaguchi’s egg form his lap.

Yamaguchi sat, stunned as he looked from Yachi to Sugawara. Sugawara’s smile stayed firm, but there was an impatient edge to him that crept with every moment Yamaguchi hesitated. Yamaguchi looked to Yachi again only to have her pushing him lightly from his seat, whispering once more that he had this in the bag. Yamaguchi’s mind was too foggy to from shock to argue, and the next thing he knew he had stood up and stumbled to the front.

“Wonderful, and what is your name?” Sugawara greeted as Yamaguchi stood awkwardly in front of him. 

“Y-Yamaguchi Tadashi,” Yamaguchi replied with a dry and nervous swallow. His voice echoed over the crowd and almost made him outwardly cringe.

“Yamaguchi, go ahead and make yourself acquainted with table number one there,” Sugawara instructed as he pointed out the table.

Yamaguchi gave a quiet nod as he floated over like a half-deflated balloon to the table. He turned to face the crowd just as Sugarawa beckoned for the next contestant. Yamaguchi felt his stomach do a small flip as he looked out over the crowd. It was a small crowd, less than 20 now, but was more than Yamaguchi had ever been in front of. His eyes wandered to Yachi who held his egg snug and safe as she gave him a thumbs up. A part of Yamaguchi wondered if she had planned this the whole time.

The next two contestants were much quicker to come up. They didn’t hesitate like Yamaguchi did. One was an older girl named Michimiya Yui, who seemed to be somewhat acquainted with Sugawara already. She had a bright smile and looked to Yamaguchi with a wave as she took the table next to his. Yamaguchi felt his stomach do a crazy flip from the attention but did his best to wave back as normally as he could. The final contestant was a trainer named Futakuchi Kenji. He too looked older than Yamaguchi and didn’t bother to green either Yamaguchi or Michimiya.

“Now, each one of you will have 1 hour to bake up a dessert of your choice. We have a small pantry of basic ingredients here that you all can use. Also, just like in any Pokemon showcase, you must have one helper Pokemon to help aid you in this task,” Sugawara explained, addressing both the contestants and the crowd. As he did so, he revealed a smaller fourth table which was covered in a multitude of berries and under it held basic baking ingredients. 

Yamaguchi’s eyes shot to the table and before he knew it, he was already formulating what sort of dish he was going to make. He made notes of the utensils on his table as he did so. A mild panic hung around at the back of his mind, but as he organized his mind he fought it off well enough. He became so caught up in his thoughts he momentarily forgot about the crowd watching all together.

“You can only use the ingredients and utensils provided to you. Your dish will be judged by Cinccino and myself. We will judge on both flavor and decoration, so do keep both in mind,” Sugawara finished as his Cinccino gave a small cry of happy agreement. “Your time begins now!” He shouted along with Cinccino.

It only took Yamaguchi a moment to decide on who to use as his helper. Calling out Swirlix, Yamaguchi strode over to the table as he thought about what dish to make. His fear of the onlookers was now far behind him and the task at hand consumed his every thought. Despite his determination, he almost tripped twice on his way to the ingredients table. He heard Futakuchi chuckle but did well ignoring it. He looked over the pile of ingredients to find everything from flour to yeast to baking powder as well as five types of sugar. A part of Yamaguchi that he didn’t realize existed bubbled with a warm determination. 

“Swirlix, I need you to sniff out those berries and find the best of the bunch and place them in our basket,” Yamaguchi told Swirlix, using her top quality nose to their advantage. 

“Your Swirlix might be able to sniff out the best berried but Kirlia and I are definitely going to win this thing,” Michimiya challenged in a very good-natured way that ignited Yamaguchi's determination even more.

“This is going to be another easy win for us, Masquerain,” Futakuchi laughed as he pushed past the other two and back to his station.

Yamaguchi’s gaze followed Futakuchi for only a moment before he turned back to the table of ingredients. He wasn’t going to let it get to him. Baking was something he knew he could do. Doing his best to remember what went into malasada, Yamaguchi and Swirlix gathered up their ingredients and headed back to their station. 

Yamaguchi dropped his bag of sugar twice on his way back to the table and heard Futakuchi call “Is dropping that bag of sugar part of your performance?” Several onlookers chuckled as Yamaguchi’s cheeks went bright red. His nerves began to get the best of him, but when Swirlix rubbed at his cheek in concern, he began to regroup his thoughts.

As quickly as he could, Yamaguchi instructed Swirlix to organize the berries while he started on the dough. He was quick at making malasadas, for it was something he’d made every morning with his grandmother since he was a small child. It was a recipe he knew off the top of his head and remembered it as if it were his home address. In a matter of minutes, he had the balls of dough set aside to rise. Then, he turned to the berries.

He was pleased to find that Swirlix had not disappointed him in finding the best berries of the bunch. Their sweet aroma filled the air around him as he looked upon them. There were round blue oran berries, some spiked fiery tomato berries and even a few of Tsukki’s favorite pecha berries. A moment of longing passed through Yamaguchi as he looked at the pecha berries, but he did well to shake it off.

“Find me the sweetest of the oran and pecha berries and hottest of the tomato berries,” Yamaguchi instructed Swirlix.

Swirlix did as she was told and sorted the berried from sweetest to most sour and hottest to least hot. Yamaguchi was amazed at how quickly Swirlix was able to do all this with just her nose. With a pinch of pride, he scratched her behind the ear and promised her a malasada after they were done.

Yamaguchi allowed Swirlix a moments rest as he got to chopping the berries. He heard Yachi cheer for him from the chairs, and a moment of panic washed over him. He had forgotten about the crowd and the fact that his egg was not beside him. He knew it to be safe with Yachi, but when you are the worrying type, rational thought often gets forgotten. 

Yamaguchi looked up to see his incubator secure in Yachi’s lap as she shot him a thumbs up. He did his best to return the gesture with a smile. He dare not look at anyone else in the crowd as he turned back to his berries. As calmly as he could he got to chopping the berries once more.

As he worked, he heard Sugawara go down the line of tables asking each contestant about themselves and their dish. The other’s voices echoed in his mind and made him feel waves of mild nerves. He had never competed like this. No one, other than Tsukki and his family, has ever watched him cook before. He didn’t know how he felt about it, but he definitely didn't dislike it.

“So Futakuchi, tell us a bit about yourself?” Yamaguchi heard Sugawara ask.

“Just came to Kalos a few weeks ago. Was a coordinator in Sinnoh last year and wanted to try my hand at this Showcase thing,” Futakuchi shrugged, his tone quite pompous. “Already got one key last weekend,” he gloated, not even bothering to look up at Sugawara.

“Wow, sounds like you’re on your way then,” Sugawara hummed, none too bothered by Futakuchi’s attitude. 

“Yep,” Futakuchi replied, popping the p.

Sugawara then moved on to Michimiya, who was busy rolling out some sort of dough. “Michimiya, long time no see,” Sugawara greeted as he came upon her. “Why don’t you introduce yourself to the crowd.”

“Hey everyone, I’m Michimiya and this is my second year doing showcases. Last year I didn’t make it all the way, but this year is mine! Watch out Suga!” Michimiya cheered, looking up from her work to smile at Sugawara and the crowd.

“I better watch my back than,” Sugawara played along.

“I’m coming for you, Suga,” Michimiya joked.

Sugawara than moved on to Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi felt his heart beat heavily as he felt Sugawara come closer. He was no good at interviews, especially when those interviews included taking in front of a crowd.

“And, last but not least is Yamaguchi,” Sugawara announced to the crowd. “Tell us a bit about yourself,” he prompted, holding the mic towards Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi looked up and the world around him spun for a moment. He did well not to look at the crowd but awkwardly bumped into the mic when he went to speak. Futakuchi laughed loudly as Sugawara apologized.

“I-I’m Y-Yama-g-guchi!” Yamaguchi barely got out. He felt sweat begin to drip down his cheek as he did his best to keep it together. “From Alola,” he barely got out. 

Sugawara could clearly see the distress in the younger trainer. “Is this your first time trying out showcases?” Sugawara asked in a calm and inviting a tone as he could.

“Clearly,” Futakuchi scoffed from his table.

Yamaguchi swallowed hard as a few onlookers chuckled. “Y-Yes,” Yamaguchi sputtered awkwardly. His distress at being under the spotlight shone through like the full moon on a dark night.

“Well, good luck with your dish, it’s looking very good so far,” Sugawara reassured calmly, picking up loud and clear at Yamaguchi’s stage fright. He then leaned over the table and whispered “It’s okay to take a moment to breathe. You’re doing fine and still have plenty of time.” He smiled calmly at Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi looked to Sugawara to find the older trainer giving him a genuine reassuring smile. Yamaguchi than set down his knife to take a few calming breaths. His nerves began to calm once more and his shoulders relaxed with each breath he took. Before he knew it he was able to smile again.

“See, I knew you had it in you,” Sugawara hummed, sounding like a proud mother despite only just meeting Yamaguchi.

“Thank you, Sugawara,” Yamaguchi chirped, grateful to have such a calming presence around.

“Not a problem,” Sugawara smiled brightly. “And call me, Suga.”

“Thanks, Suga,” Yamaguchi corrected, enjoying the sound of the other trainer's name on his tongue. 

It wasn’t long before Yamaguchi had his chopped berries simmering in a pot over one of his two burners. Now much calmer and focused once more on the task at hand, Yamaguchi started on making a custard to fill his malasada. He and Swirlix worked together to pick out the best eggs for the task. As pokemon and trainer working in tandem, it didn’t take much time for them to create the creamiest, silkiest custard they’d ever seen. Yamaguchi, all the while was surprised at Swirlix’s dexterity in the kitchen. He had chosen right with her for this task.

As Yamaguchi allowed his fruit and custard fillings to cool, he and Swirlix got onto frying their dough. Yamaguchi was relieved to see that they had risen perfectly and with not much time left, he and Swirlix got to frying them. Hot oil spat and bubbled as Yamaguchi took extra care not to allow any of it to splash onto Swirlix. 

From next to him, Yamaguchi could hear and smell the other two competitors working on their dishes. The air in the arena was filled with a sweet, decadent smell that caused the crowd watching to grow. Yamaguchi, all the while, was too focused on his malasadas to notice the growth in onlookers.

Before Yamaguchi knew it, his dough was perfectly fried and ready to be filled. He and Swirlix did their best to fill the malasada as evenly as they could with their fruit and custard creations. Yamaguchi’s hands shook and as they did so it caused him to overfill and explode two of the malasada and drop one. Several times he had to stop and take a breath to allow his nerves to calm. He found himself questioning why he was even up on stage. He didn’t perform in showcases, but here he was. Several times, Swirlix would bring him back and remind him of the task at hand.

Decorations were something Yamaguchi was weakest at when it came to baking. His finesse needed much work, but he did his best to present each malasada as best he could. It showed quite obviously that Yamaguchi was a little heavy handed. Each dough ball was covered in sparkling sugar and drizzled in a melting white chocolate ganache whose color matched the berries inside. He placed misshapen star-shaped berry bits atop each doughnut. As the clock counted down to the last seconds Yamaguchi wished he could have had more time to reshape the star bits.

“Time!” Sugawara sang along with his Cinccino and all three contestants stepped away from their dishes. 

Yamaguchi glanced to the side to see that both Michimiya and Futakuchi had created beautiful Poké Puffs, which immediately set Yamaguchi's stomach flipping. He began to second guess his dish. Perhaps malasadas weren’t good enough. Why did any of this even matter to him? He wasn’t a performer but somewhere deep within his gut a burning need to prove himself grew with each passing minute. His eyes stayed fixed on Sugawara as he stepped forward to judge the dishes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well now! I wonder who out Yama had done? Will his malasada be able to beat out the pokepuffs? I wonder who will win? Let’s read on and see!
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading this far. I know not much has happened and this fic is slow going but I do hope everyone is enjoying it. I ma having a blast writing it! I always love to hear from you guys to know what you think and feel about the story thus far. Feel free to always drop in and leave a comment/review!
> 
> Thank you to all of those who have left kudos, follows, and bookmarks. It is always a great way to let me know the enjoyment of the fic. It help fule me to write more.
> 
> Also, incase I don’t get a chance to do so, I want to wish you all a Happy Halloween! I am making Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Maple Syrup Frosting soaked in RUM to celebrate the holiday! Also going to dress as a good old Gryffindor (probably Neville) as my costume! Hope you all have a spooky and safe Halloween!
> 
> See you all next chapter!


	14. The Festival: Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! So here we go! Chapter 14! Let’s wrap up this festival! I wonder who is going to win? Let’s find out!
> 
> My current beta is doing such an awesome job!!!! They go by the name of Killer_Squids and can be found on AO3 here (https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killer_Squids). They can also be found on tumblr under the name land-banana. They have done a wonderful job with betaing for me so if you have time please give there page a look.
> 
> Here we go! Chapter 14!

Yamaguchi’s stomach bubbled with a mix of nerves and desperation to prove his worth, a feeling like nothing Yamaguchi had ever felt before. He’d always been so afraid of judgment or confrontation, but in that moment he felt like he had done something to be proud of. Something he wanted to share with others. It was a nice feeling, a feeling he wanted to hold onto.

Sugawara turned to face the crowd once more. “We will start judging now but before that, I have some guests judges I’d like to call onto the stage,” Sugawara smiled. Many of the onlookers whispered in excitement.

It was in that moment that Yamaguchi took notice of how many people were watching them. All seats were now full. There had to be at least 40 people watching. Once more, Yamaguchi felt his stage fright trickle back. He thanked Arceus that he hadn’t noticed the growth in the crowd when he was cooking or he might not have finished.

“Kyoko and Oikawa please come on to the stage,” Sugawara cheered as the other two guests strode out onto the stage with their Pokemon. “Thank you both for joining us.” Oikawa’s fan club sounded off in the back of the audience as Oikawa and Kyoko joined Sugawara.

“Not a problem, Mr. Refreshing,” Oikawa purred, leaning in close to Sugawara, who looked about ready to slap him but restrained himself well. “Had some extra time since my panel ended a bit earlier.”

“It smells wonderful, too,” Kyoko cooley comments from the other side of Sugawara. Her hair blew like silk in the wind as she spoke and Yamaguchi was pretty sure he heard a loud gasp from Yachi.

“We will be judging them on taste, presentation, and creativity,” Sugawara explained to the other two.

“You got it, Mr. Refreshing,” Oikawa hummed. He seemed to be getting enjoyment out of the way his nickname miffed Sugawara. It was like watching a boy tease his childhood crush. It left Yamaguchi feeling slightly awkward.

Sugawara rolled his eyes before pushing Oikawa toward the first table for judging. Oikawa gave one of his fake innocent laughs that only caused Sugawara to push him once more. All the while, Kyoko followed the two as if their one-sided flirting wasn’t going on in front of her. The three judges, along with their Pokemon, approached Futakuchi first.

Futakuchi smiled at each judge as he pushed his Pokepuffs towards them. He had made a beautiful chocolate Pokepuff with a pink berry whipped topping. With silicone molds, he’d decorated the frosting with bits of perfectly cased dark chocolate flowers. Yamaguchi felt his stomach do a flip for not thinking of doing the same.

“I have for you today my special Dark Chocolate Razz Berry Pokepuff,” Futakuchi confidently said as he and his Masquerain stood proudly.

The three judges and their pokemon each took a bite from the puff. Sugawara’s Cinccino purred happily as it ate the treat but Oikawa’s Roserade did not seem to like it too much. This caused Futakuchi to shook the grass type a look that didn’t sit well with Oikawa.

“It’s a bit too bitter if you ask me, and the chocolate decorations were tempered incorrectly,” Oikawa spouted off with very little care for the contestants feeling.

Futakuchi scoffed at his comment but wisely said nothing. 

“The balance of the sweet frosting and chocolate pastry is executed well enough, and the tart from the Razz Berry really brings it all together,” Sugawara cut in, his tone much more caring. “But, the chocolate decorations don’t have the snap that chocolate should have,” he carried on, reluctantly agreeing with Oikawa.

Oikawa flashed Sugawara a sassy smirk.

“I also enjoy your frosting skills. It was very balanced,” Kyoko quietly added.

“Nice work, Futakuchi,” Sugawara smiled before they moved onto Michimiya.

Futakuchi thanked them with a smile but when Oikawa turned his back he made a face. Yamaguchi would have laughed if not for the very stressful situation he was in. He felt the odd burning in his core turn heavy as the judges moved closer.

“Hey, Suga, Kyoko,” Michimiya greeted the two like an old friend. “Oikawa,” she added, her tone a little less familiar but friendly nonetheless.

“I thought this contest was meant to be for beginners,” Oikawa drawled, earning himself a look from Sugawara.

“No one else in the crowd volunteered,” Michimiya shrugged, not falling to Oikawa’s bait. She looked to Oikawa for a reaction and was met with a pout.

Yamaguchi longed for confidence like that. Michimiya didn’t even blink an eye when Oikawa took a jab at her. It was obvious that the three judges were acquainted with her in some way and that probably made it easier for her to stand in front of them with such confidence.

“So, what did you make for us today?” Sugawara asked, making an effort to ignore Oikawa.

“Well today I have a minty nomel berry Pokepuff,” Michimiya hummed, pushing her creation towards the judges. The delicate desert contained a mellow yellow pastry topped with a minty green frosting. Adorning the frosting were flanks of edible gold and delicately piped pink flowers. Yamaguchi felt his stomach do a flip at the beauty of the dish.

“Oh, nomel berries. A very tricky ingredient,” Oikawa said with a click of his tongue.

“Nice work on the piping,” Sugawara cut in as he examined the dessert.

“Learned from the best,” Michimiya replied with a wink.

The three judges and their Pokemon all took a bite of their Pokepuffs. Sugawara and Kyoko hummed thoughtfully while Oikawa pulled a face. Kyoko’s Gardevoir seemed partial to the treat but Cinccino and Roserade didn’t seem too into the puff.

“Just as I expected, a little on the sour side,” Oikawa huffed with a shrug, not bothering to take another bite. His Roserade followed suit.

“It is a bit sour but you did quite well for working with a nomel berry. If you added a bit less berry and some more mint, it may have balanced out a bit better,” Sugawara commented before taking another bite of the puff. “But in all, I personally like it.”

“My Gardevoir would agree,” Kyoko added, looking to find that Gardevoir had finished her puff. “For someone who loves sour treats, this is just right.”

“Thank you very much,” Michimiya bowed, genuinely taking all comments to heart.

The three judges then turned to Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi gave a small jump, causing a spoon to clunk from his table to the floor. Futakuchi could be heard snickering from the other side of Michimiya and Yamaguchi failed to tune it out. He did his best to keep his heart under control and a smile on his face. He was pretty sure he looked horrified. 

“What do we have here?” Oikawa hummed, being the first to approach Yamaguchi’s station. “Not a Pokepuff? What a surprise.”

“Oh, a Malasada!” Sugawara said with an excited smile. “It’s an Alolan specialty, isn’t it?” he looked to Yamaguchi with excitement.

“Y-Yeah,” Yamaguchi stuttered, doing his best to keep his voice calm. “I m-made a m-mixed berry and c-custard malasada,” Yamaguchi somehow got out.

“Arceus, what an amatuer,” Futakuchi could be heard from somewhere beyond Michimiya.

“Would you shut up!” Michimiya hissed, causing Yamaguchi to feel both grateful and embarrassed.

“Well, I am very excited to try it,” Sugawara hummed as he looked over Yamaguchi’s malasada. 

“The decoration is a bit heavy-handed. Are these meant to be stars?” Oikawa said as he looked over the doughnut. “I can already tell the ganache is far too thick.”

“R-right!” Yamaguchi felt himself deflate. He couldn’t argue with Oikawa for he was right. His was the worst of the bunch in the decoration department.

The three judges and their Pokemon all took a bite of their malasada. The three Pokemon seemed to enjoy the treat, all taking several more bites until they finished it all together. Sugawara let loose a small and happy hum while Kyoko looked like she was taken away somewhere far.

“I must say, this might look the worst but it does taste like I’m back on the beaches of Alola,” Oikawa hummed, his eyes looking somewhere far away from where they were.

“It does remind me of the days I spent training on Akala Island,” Koyko agreed with a sigh. Her silky black hair blew in the wind, making her seem reminiscent of a maiden at the beach. Her Gardevoir trilled in elegant agreement. Form somewhere out in the crow Yamaguchi heard a gasp from Yachi.

“The berries keep their freshness, the cream is smooth, the dough so fluffy, and there is even a spicy burn that comes in at the end!” Sugawara sang with stars in his eyes. 

Yamaguchi felt his heart swell with joy. To receive such comments from some of the top showcase contestants filled him with pride for the first time ever. He couldn't help but smile as he watched both trainer and Pokemon enjoy his creation. 

“Too bad you don’t know how to decorate,” Oikawa sneered like a child. At this Yamaguchi’s smile faltered. 

“Decoration you can learn in time, but a talent with ingredients is something much harder to attain,” Sugawara grumbled, bumping Oikawa with his hip. “Keep up the good work, Yamaguchi.”

“T-Thank you, Suga,” Yamaguchi nodded with a small smile. The pride he felt still filled his chest with warmth.

Sugawara and the other two judges then turned to face the crowd. “We are now going to discuss amongst ourselves and will announce the winners in a few minutes. The contestants please stay on stage,” Sugawara explained before he, Kiyoko and Oikawa went behind the stage.

Several people in the crowd began to talk amongst themselves. Yamaguchi felt his stagefright lessen as people turned to talk with their friends. He took a moment to thank Swirlix for her hard work, allowing her one of the leftover Malasada.

“Wow, your malasada must be amazing if Oikawa openly praised it,” Michimiya said as she approached Yamaguchi’s station. “Mind if I try one?” she asked, gesturing to one of Yamaguchi’s few leftover malasada.

“S-sure, go ahead,” Yamaguchi stuttered, still trying to regain control of his voice.

“Wow, these are amazing. How did you get the berries to taste so fresh despite cooking them?” Michimiya gasped before taking another bite of the malasada. All the while, her Kirlia begged at her leg for a try.

“I-It’s nothing really,” Yamaguchi mumbled shily before handing Kirlia a malasada of her own.

“It’s wonderful... Yamaguchi was it?” Michimiya half praised half asked.

“Yes, Yamaguchi is correct,” Yamaguchi replied, feeling himself becoming more comfortable.

“You’ll have to give me some tips sometime, Yamaguchi,” Michimiya said with a smile. “Ever cook with nomel berries?” she joked.

“A few times. My mom really likes them,” Yamaguchi shrugged. “My family has a pretty mean nomel berry curd.”

“Yikes, these are ugly!” Futakuchi cut in, snatching one of Yamaguchi’s malasada without asking and taking a big bite. 

“Hey!” Michimiya scolded, scowling at Futakuchi. “Taking another contestants dish without asking is rude, you know!”

“Damn, it’s too bad you suck at decorating because these are delicious,” Futakuchi laughed as he finished off the malasada.

“This was my first time trying any sort of competition,” Yamaguchi defended with a frown, though he did feel pride from the complement of the taste.

“Well, with this lack of finesse you will never win a showcase,” Futakuchi sassed, his hands on his hips. 

“So, I can get better at decoration. At least all the judges and Pokemon finished my dish!” Yamaguchi retorted, his pride giving him a bit more of a backbone.

“Look at you, talking so big,” Futakuchi mocked. He seemed miffed by Yamaguchi’s last comment. “It’s obvious to everyone here watching that you have no clue what you are doing. You were bumbling and stuttering any time you were asked a question. How lame.”

Yamaguchi felt his cheeks go pink. He knew how stupid he must have looked up there to everyone. It didn’t mean Futakuchi had to go and point it out as he did. Yamaguchi’s pride waned for only a moment. He desperately tried to keep hold of it.

“Shut up, Futakuchi,” Michimiya cut in. She frowned deeply at Futakuchi as she did do. “It’s obvious you are jealous that the judges liked his dish over yours.”

“We’ll see about that!” Futakuchi snapped. “I’ll make you two eat your words when the judges crown me the winner!” With that, he turned on his heels and headed back to his station.

“What a baby,” Michimiya sighed as she watched him go. “Don’t listen to a word he said. You did a fine job out here. Better than I was my first time doing anything like this.”

“Thanks, I’m fine, really,” Yamaguchi insisted, doing his best to smile to prove his point. He glanced over at Futakuchi only to see the trainer make a face. It was quite childish, and made Futakuchi’s words sting much less.

Michimiya bid her farewell as she made her way back to her station as well. It was only moments later that the judges entered the stage once more. All went quiet as the three and their Pokemon stopped center stage.

“Before we announce the winner, we would like to call all three contestants up to the front,” Sugawara said, summoning Yamaguchi and the others to join them center stage.

Yamaguchi scooped up Swirlix and stumbled with the other two to center stage. He heard Futakuchi snicker but did well to ignore it. The three stood between Oikawa and Sugawara with Michimiya in the middle and Yamaguchi to her right and Futakuchi to her left. They all faced the crowd, Yamaguchi doing his best to keep his cool. He glanced over the crowd to find Yachi giving him a thumbs up over his incubator.

“You all did a phenomenal job with your dishes,” Sugawara began as he looked over the three contestants.

“Futakuchi, your dish was decorated well but the balance of bitter and sweet was slightly off, and your chocolate was not well-tempered,” Kyoko cooly spoke. 

“And Michimiya, your Puff was the best decorated of the bunch, but was a little on the sour side,” Sugawara carried on.

“And Yamaguchi, your malasada carried the best flavor and texture but it looked like it was decorated by a five your old,” Oikawa hummed with sass. Yamaguchi couldn’t help but reluctantly agree.

“But there can only be one winner…” Sugawara said, pausing for the dramatic tension.

Yamaguchi felt his heart beat fast. For some odd reason, he really wanted to win this. He had never been in a showcase nor ever cared about them but here he is now praying to win a contest at a showcase festival. Something he should not care about but strangely he does.

“And today’s winner is….” Sugawara reiterated. “Michimiya!!”

Michimiya gave a small surprised squeak before stepping forward. Some confetti shot into the air as Sugawara handed her the small trophy. Yamaguchi felt a wave of disappointment, but at the same time he felt happy for Michimiya. She really had done the best of the bunch.

“Your Puff has such a light texture and was cooked to perfection,” Kyoko complimented as she congratulated. 

“And the pipework was just phenomenal. Each flower looked just as uninformed as the next. True skill,” Oikawa added.

“Congratulations!” Sugawara cheered as everyone clapped. 

“Thank you all so much,” Michimiya and Kirlia both bowed deeply. 

Yamaguchi clapped along with the rest of the crowd. He was sad he hadn’t won, but he felt that if he were put in this situation again he would win for sure. The mere idea set his soul afire. 

With that, the contestants were allowed to gather up the rest of their leftover desserts as a crew came in to clean up the stage. Yamaguchi had half a dozen of his malasada left and was excited to share them with Tsukki later that night. As he gathered his things, he could not help but think over ways he could have done better.

“I really thought you were going to win,” Michimiya sighed, standing beside Yamaguchi’s station.

“What? No way! You’re Pokepuff was obviously the best,” Yamaguchi shook his head furiously as he spoke.

“I don’t know,” Michimiya hummed. “I’m pretty sure if your decoration had been more on point you’d be the one with the trophy.”

“That’s not true,” Yamaguchi insisted, wondering if Michimiya really meant it.

“Well, it was a fine battle against you two, I guess,” Futakuchi mumbled as he came up beside Michimiya. “But next time I will be the winner and my prize will be a key.”

“We’ll see about that!” Michimiya challenged, a fire in her eyes. “I plan to make it all the way this year.”

“Bring it!” Futakuchi retorted. 

A part of Yamaguchi wanted to join in on the rivalry but he wasn’t a contestant. Not really. He had come here to earn badges, not keys. But his resolve weighed every second he thought about it.

“Well, see you two at the next showcase than, and we will see who the real winner is,” Michimiya growled in good competition.

“Yes, we shall meet on the stage once more!” Futakuchi agreed. “See you both very soon!” His tone was sly and competitive as he spoke.

Yamaguchi found himself giving a mindless nod as the two walked off. He hadn’t in his heart to tell them the truth. A part of him longed to see them both on a stage like this once more. For a moment he felt like he was being tugged apart.

“Wow, Yamaguchi, you were amazing,” Yachi gasped as she approached Yamaguchi’s station. “I knew you were a good baker, but I didn’t know you were that good!” She carried on, handing Yamaguchi his precious incubator. “And you got to talk to Kyoko! What was it like?”

“Thank, Yachi,” Yamaguchi mumbled as he gently reclaimed his egg. “Kyoko was nice. Almost blinding, to be honest. I don’t know how I even got a word out around her,” he admitted.

“Right! I probably would have vomited if I were you,” Yachi squeaked, though she looked like she wanted nothing more than to meet with Kyoko in the flesh.

“Well, you might get to test that theory at the Q&A,” Yamaguchi shrugged, wondering what would happen if Yachi really did vomit when talking with her. The idea set his stomach queasy as well.

“Yamaguchi!” Sugawara cut in, approaching the two. Yamaguchi turned to see a bright smile on the refreshing trainers face. “Oh, is this a friend?” he said once he got to the two.

“Yes, Yachi was the one who tricked me into volunteering,” Yamaguchi sighed, though he was now grateful for it.

“Well, nice to meet you, Yachi. You can call me Suga,” Sugawara introduced himself easily.

“Y-Yes! Call me Yachi!” Yachi all but shouted, stiff as a board when she bowed.

Sugawara chuckled lightly before turning to Yamaguchi. “I wanted to talk with you before we dispersed.”

“Yes? About what?” Yamaguchi wondered, not sure what Sugawara would have to say to him.

“I noticed that you're not listed here as a showcase contestant,” Sugawara thoughtfully pointed out. “It this true?”

“Well, to be honest, yes,” Yamaguchi admitted with a dash of shame. “I’m not a showcase contestant.”

“Why not?” Sugawara asked, his expression genuinely surprised.

“I-I don’t know,” Yamauchi replied in all honesty. “I hadn’t thought about showcases before coming here I guess.”

“You have a lot of potential, Yamaguchi,” Sugawara said in all seriousness. “I think you would do well as a showcase contestant.”

“What? No, I-” Yamaguchi began only to be cut off.

“I mean it, Yamaguchi. I hope you will consider giving showcases a chance,” Sugawara cut in, his tone leaving no room for discussion.

“Yeah, you were great today. It’s like you’ve done this before,” Yachi chimed in with a nod. “Join me as a showcase contestant!”

“I-I’ll think about it,” Yamaguchi stuttered under the pressure of the two.

“You better,” Sugawara firmly said. “I’ll be looking for you. If I don’t see you in a showcase soon I will hunt you down,” he threatened in a way that made Yamaguchi feel like he was talking with his mother.

“Y-Yes, sir!” Yamaguchi sputtered nervously, holding his incubator tightly.

“I’m watching you, boy!” Sugawara playfully glared as he pointed from his eyes to Yamaguchi. 

Yamaguchi gave a small breathy laugh as he watched Sugawara disappear into the crowd. An odd feeling of uncertainty washed through Yamaguchi. It felt as if he were being split in half once more. He was reluctant to just jump into the showcase life. He had come here to partake in the league. He felt like he’d be betraying his original intent, but at the same time the showcase seemed oh so enticing. 

“Yamaguchi, if we don’t hurry we will miss our next panel!” Yachi urged, breaking Yamaguchi form his thoughts.

“Oh, right!” Yamaguchi replied, is tone still quite distant. Shoving his leftover Malasada into his pack and carefully picking up his incubator, he swiftly followed after Yachi.

The crowd at Kyoko’s Q&A was vast. It was one of the last panels of the day and only a few seats in the very back were left open. Yachi wilted in disappointment upon seeing the crowd, but the two took whatever seats they could find and stayed for the panel.

Exhausted from the day, Yamaguchi fell fast asleep as soon as the panel stared. Hunching over and resting his cheek on his incubator he didn’t even wake up when Yachi had been called upon to ask a question. It was only when Yachi shook him awake did he finally come to.

“Has the panel started?” Yamaguchi groggily asked, rubbing his eyes.

“No,” Yachi giggled as everyone around them stood to leave. “You slept through the whole thing,” Yachi carried on, still laughing at Yamaguchi’s sleepy expense. “You even missed when she mentioned the cooking contest and your amazing Malasada.”

“What!,” Yamaguchi gasped, hoping Yachi was just joking. “Did she really do that?”

“Yup,” Yachi sweetly chirped. “And she even asked if you and the other contestants were here in the audience. I was going to keep quiet, but some guy sitting behind called out that you were sleeping.”

“Oh Arceus, how embarrassing,” Yamaguchi moaned into the top of his incubator. 

“She even looked this way,” Yachi swooned. “She looked at you more than at me but it was still amazing.”

“Well, I’m happy something good came of it,” Yamaguchi flatly replied.

With that, the two gathered their things and headed back to the Pokemon center. Yamaguchi was quite surprised to find Tsukki already back in their room when he arrived, who was laying across his bed reading from a book.

“Tsukki, what are you doing here?” Yamaguchi gasped upon entering the room.

“Ran into some idiots and headed back early,” Tsukishima replied, placing his book down to sit up.

“Oh, I’m guessing you ran into Hinata and Kageyama then,” Yamaguchi laughed, setting his items down beside his bed.

“How did you know?” Tsukishima replied in dry sarcasm.

“You have that ‘good Arceus I’m about to kill someone’ look right now,” Yamaguchi said, laughing even more.

“Shut up, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima mumbled, shooting his friend a warning glare that took little effect.

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi giggled, regaining control of himself. “Here, I made some Malasada today. Try one,” Yamaguchi offered in an attempt to make peace with his best friend.

Tsukishima looked surprised as he took one of the pastries from the box. “Why did you make Malasada?” Tsukishima asked examining the treat.

“Oh, it was for one of the panels we went to,” Yamaguchi shyly began, still a little embarrassed by the whole ordeal. “I was picked to be part of a small baking contest.”

“Really?” Tsukishima questioned. For a moment, Yamaguchi was sure he saw a flash of disappointment in Tsukki’s eyes. “Did you win?”

“No, not by a long shot,” Yamaguchi admitted, slumping down onto his bed. “They said my decoration skills were lacking quite a bit.”

“Who cares about decoration?” Tsukishima dryly brushed off. “Taste is what matters.”

“In showcases, you have to deliver in both taste and presentation,” Yamaguchi sighed thoughtfully, leaning back on his hands to look at the ceiling. 

“Showcase?” Tsukishima hummed, looking to his friend.

“Oh, yeah,” Yamaguchi sputtered, his cheeks going pink. “This was kind of a taste of what it would be like to compete in a showcase’s first round, I guess,” he tried to explain.

Tsukishima looked long and hard at Yamaguchi. It was almost as if he were trying to decode something. His gaze was so sharp and assertive that Yamaguchi fidgeted several times. It always made him feel on edge when Tsukki examined him like this.

“Did you enjoy it?” Tsukishima finally asked in a very calm tone.

Yamaguchi paused, thinking hard about the question. Despite how nervous he was it had been the most fun Yamaguchi had ever experienced in any sort of composition. He had lost but he left feeling an odd sense of pride and a yearning to try it once more.

“Yeah, I did enjoy it,” Yamaguchi quietly admitted, unable to hide his small smile.

Another silence hung in the room as Tsukishima gave a small hum of approval. This time the silence was more relaxing and inviting. It left Yamaguchi free to reflect on his day and to take in the events that had passed.

“This is amazing, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima’s voice cut through the silence. Yamaguchi looked up to find his friend halfway through the malasada. “It tastes just like home,” he carried on with a nostalgic air to his voice.

“Thanks, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi replied in a whisper.

The late afternoon smoothly faded into night as the sounds of the festival could be heard wrapping up in the distance. Tsukki busied himself with his book once again. Yamaguchi was left to consider his future once more but this time he felt much more positive when doing so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW! What a wild ride! I hope you all enjoyed the competition. Too bad out Yama couldn’t have been the winner. He was up against some pretty strong opponents. But I think he is okay. I wonder what this is doing for him. He has a lot to consider! 
> 
> As always chapter 15 should be up next weekend. I am very excited to post chapter 15. It’s going to be a good one, believe me! Once again I am probably talking it up but I really loved writing chapter 15 so get excited.
> 
> I love to hear from my readers so if you have the time please let me know what you think of this fic so far with a comment/review. Also, thank you so much to everyone who has left me a comment thus far. It’s always such a wonderful surprise to see a comment on this fic. When I get a comment notice mid day it always make me so excited to just rush home and work on the next chapter! I love all my readers so much so!!! I also want to thank all of you who leave me kudos, bookmarks, follows, just everything! You guys really are great.
> 
> Well, that is all for now so see you next chapter!


	15. The Mist From The Forest  & The Glow From The Egg

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! First of all I must wish our wonderful Yamaguchi a Happy Happy Birthday :D. This chapter really is a fitting chapter to be posted on Yamaguchi's Birthday. At lot will be evaluated and decisions will be made so I hope you enjoy chapter 15!!!
> 
> My current beta is doing such an awesome job!!!! They go by the name of Killer_Squids and can be found on AO3 here (https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killer_Squids). They can also be found on tumblr under the name land-banana. They have done a wonderful job with betaing for me so if you have time please give there page a look.
> 
> Now, let’s read chapter 15!!!

It was the first cloudy day Yamaguchi and Tsukishima had encountered on their journey. When they had left the Pokemon center the day before, the weather forecast had predicted clear skies, but as Yamaguchi looked to the sky he had the sinking feeling it just might indeed have been wrong. He followed closely to Tsukki as they made there way down a path. It was much darker than normal due to the heavy cloud cover, and a cold breeze would pass by every now and then, reminding the two that spring had only just started and winter was not quite ready to fully let go of its reign.

“Tsukki, is there any sort of town or Pokemon Center within a days walk?” Yamaguchi asked, hoping that they would be able to find some sort of shelter from the possible rain.

“Not according to the map,” Tsukishima flatly replied, not bothering to look at Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi gave a small hum of disappointment, holding his incubator close to his chest. Due to the cold morning, he hadn’t been able to spend as much time caring for the egg in fear that the cold weather could cause harm to it. He wanted to find a warm, safe place for the day so as to make sure the egg was taken care of. He didn’t even know if the incubator was resistant to water. This thought struck him with sudden terror.

“The incubator will be fine, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima cut in before the thought could go any further. “And stop worrying so much. It’s annoying.”

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi sighed. He knew his worries were irrational but he couldn’t help how he felt.

“We can pitch our tent early and make sure to use and secure the tarp,” Tsukishima went on. “Even if it does rain, it probably won’t rain that much.”

“Yeah, maybe that’s our best option,” Yamaguchi signed once more, still wishing for a warm, safe place to care for his egg.

As Yamaguchi wandered down the path, shoulder to shoulder with Tsukki, he couldn’t help but glance every now and then to the surrounding forest. It was much darker today, and he was unable to peer deep into it like he normally could. It was like the forest had been swallowed by darkness. Many times the wind would blow through the leave of the trees and bushed, causing Yamaguchi to jump out of his skin. Several times he swore he saw eyeshine in the depths of the darkness, following their every move. It caused a shiver to run down Yamaguchi’s spine as he walked so close to Tsukki he bumped into him.

“What has got you so spooked!?” Tsukishima snapped upon the third time Yamaguchi bumped into him.

“There is something following us! I swear!” Yamaguchi stuttered.

Tsukishima stopped and peered into the woods. Squinting his eyes, he looked long and hard. “Well, all I see are bushes,” Tsukishima replied with a shrug. “You’re probably just seeing things, and if something is there it’s probably just another fat Pidgey.”

“P-P-Pidgey, right,” Yamaguchi replied, giving a strained smile.

Tsukki was right. His mind was just getting the better of him. He was on edge about the rain, and it’s only causing his mind to go haywire. Nothing is there, he told himself. Nothing is watching them. They are not being followed.

Just as those thoughts passed through Yamaguchi’s mind, he made direct eye contact with a very dead looking face. Yamaguchi let loose a scream of terror and almost fell to the ground in an attempt to not drop his incubator. Shutting his eyes and crouching down low, he began to panic.

“There is something there! There’s something there! There’s something there! TSUKKI!!” Yamaguchi hyperventilated, losing complete control of himself. 

Tsukishima meanwhile had jumped aside from the sudden scream. He peered into the bushes once more, Salazzle’s Pokeball in hand. He looked long and hard for whatever it was Yamaguchi had seen. After several seconds passed, he gave a deep sigh and looked to his shivering friend.

“I don’t see anything,” Tsukishima flatly signed, glaring down where Yamaguchi shook.

“No! No! I saw a face! There was a face,” Yamaguchi blubbered, pointing to where he had seen whatever it was.

“No Yamaguchi, you probably just saw a tree or bush or something,” Tsukishima sassed, his patience wearing thin.

“T-Tsukki!” Yamaguchi whined. He knew he’d seen something there, he just knew it.

“No, there is nothing,” Tsukishima cut off before Yamaguchi could say any more. “Now let’s get going before the rain comes.”

Yamaguchi looked up to find Tsukki’s back to him. It took him a long moment before he could find it in himself to stand, but even as he did so, he felt as if something was watching him. As Tsukishima made to carry on, Yamaguchi made sure to stay close beside him, their arms almost touching as they walked. Tsukishima allowed for this, not wanting Yamaguchi to have another fright episode. As they went, Yamaguchi looked ahead, not looking once to the forest. All the while, he still felt something following their every move.

It was mid-afternoon when the two pulled over to set up camp, and the sky was even cloudier and the air just as cool. It took the two a good hours to set up their tent with its waterproof tarp, as well as a large tarp for them to cook and eat under. By the time they were both done setting up the camp, they were both starving. 

As they ate their lunch they both allowed their Pokemon out to roam before the rain came. Since leaving the forest path, Yamaguchi didn’t feel the odd presence of something watching them. Perhaps it had just been his paranoia getting the better of him in the dark woods. He did well to shake it from his mind as he fished his egg out of the incubator for some more one on one time. 

Despite the cool air, the egg was quite warm. Yamaguchi did well to wrap it in a soft, light green blanket he had purchased at the festival. Holding the egg close to his chest, he allowed himself to relax. Salazzle curled herself around him from behind, using her natural body heat to help keep the egg and himself warm. Yamaguchi leaned into the lizard as his mind began to wander.

“I’ve decided that we should head back to Lumiose City for the next gym battle,” Tsukishima said, his voice cutting through the calm air like a knife.

“What? But I thought we were going to Cyllage City next?” Yamaguchi hummed, surprised Tsukishima was bringing this up so suddenly.

“I’ve just read that the Lumiose City gym has been reopened, and I want to battle it first,” Tsukishima bluntly replied as he held up his tablet to show a forum he had been reading through.

“But, Tsukki, that in the other direction, isn’t it?” Yamaguchi asked, not quite sure where they actually were himself.

“Lumiose City is closer,” Tsukishima said, flashing the map on his tablet at Yamaguchi. He pointed to where they were and where the other two cities were. 

Indeed, Lumiose City was much closer to where they were. That being said, Yamaguchi found himself wondering why they had been traveling aimlessly. If they’d gone back to Lumiose City right after the gym battle at Santalune City, they would have made it there by now.

“Um, Tsukki, where have we been traveling to this whole time?” Yamaguchi dared to ask, unsure how Tsukki would react to his question.

“I thought we could use some time to train and sort out our thoughts before the next gym battle,” Tsukishima replied, his tone even and calm. 

“Oh, right,” Yamaguchi mumbled. It slowly dawned on him he had not trained once since the Santalune Gym fiasco. 

“Will you try the Lumiose Gym?” Tsukishima asked, his voice much quieter than normal.

Yamaguchi did not reply. He wanted to, but his voice betrayed him. If he was being honest with himself, he did not want to try any gyms ever again. He dared not look at Tsukki as this ran through his mind. His eyes were fixed on his beloved egg.

“I’m going to go gather some water before the rain starts,” Tsukishima stated, getting up and leaving the protection of the tent.

Yamaguchi gave a small hum but said no more. He didn’t even look up when Tsukki made to leave. His mind became jumbled and everything around him became nothing but white noise. Even though he could see, his eyes didn’t really focus on anything. He was too deep into thought to notice anything around him.

Yamaguchi knew the league was not for him. He knew it just as much as he knew the time of day or Tsukki’s favorite treat. The past few days had proven to him that he was much more suited for showcases. There was no battling, and he was fascinated by the creativity of it. Any time he felt like mentioning this to Tsukki, though, his mind would go dark.

Yamaguchi was afraid. He wasn’t afraid of the idea of performing in front of a crowd, nor was he worried about being given a task he knew nothing about. He was afraid of failure. What if showcases were just the same as the league? What if he couldn’t do it? His stomach turned at the idea of giving up the league for showcases only to fail at that too.

He hadn’t been able to prove a single thing so far on this journey. He caught Swirlix by pure luck. He lost terribly in his first gym battle. Actually, he hadn’t won a single battle ever. And he had only proven that he was indeed a baker's son. Of course he did well in the baking competition. He had been baking since he was 7 years old. Yamaguchi thought himself pathetic, but not that pathetic.

Several times he wanted so badly to say he was going to try for showcase but found himself drowning in his own self-doubt. He didn’t want to disappoint anyone. He didn't want to make promises he could not keep. His insides felt as if they were being torn to shreds. He wanted to try showcases so badly but couldn’t get past his many failures.

Releasing a small moan, Yamaguchi held his egg close. Stressing over this was not doing his egg any favors. He had to focus on one thing at a time. Sensing Yamaguchi’s stress, Salazzle shifted beside him in worry. 

“I’m all right,” Yamaguchi reassured, his voice cracking with emotion as he did so.

Salazzle released a low, caring hiss, her tongue lapping at the side of his arm. 

Popplio came up on the other side of Yamaguchi, snuggling close. Yamaguchi allowed her under his arm too. Swirlix made herself comfortable upon his shoulder, winding herself around the back of his neck. He could not help but smiled as he allowed the three Pokemon to snuggle close. 

“What would I do without you guys,” Yamaguchi choked, savoring the care he was being given by the three.

It was at that moment that something very odd happened. A sudden very bright light flashed from the egg, causing Yamaguchi to release a partial gasp partial shout. Popplio and Salazzle backed away every so slightly as Swirlix tumbled from his neck. Yamaguchi held the egg out to get a look at it. Once more it glowed brightly. Yamaguchi knew very well what this meant.

“It’s going to hatch soon,” Yamaguchi gasped, unsure what to do next.

Popplio, Swirlix, and Salazzle all made sounds of surprised joy. Popplio blew a few excited bubbles while Salazzle and Swirlix came up close once more to Yamaguchi to get a look at the egg. Yamaguchi felt a swell of warmth bloom in his chest as he once more held the egg close.

“Don’t worry. We’ll protect you, so come out soon,” Yamaguchi tenderly whispered to the egg.

It could take between 4 to 48 hours for an egg to hatch once it began to glow. Yamaguchi remembered reading that depending on the inhabitants of the egg it can take longer or shorter. At the moment, Yamaguchi hadn’t a clue who was within the egg so didn’t know when it was due to hatch. 

Tsukki had returned soon after and did well to help Yamaguchi prepare the egg for the next few hours. Once an egg began to glow it was to be kept out of an incubator and in a warm place. It was best to have it monitored until it hatched, so Popplio and Salazzle took babysitting duty while Yamaguchi and Tsukishima bustled about the camp in preparation.

“It’s already raining. I’m concerned it’s going to get too cold,” Yamaguchi worried as he and Tsukishima finished up there dinner.

“Once we are all in the tent it will be warm enough for the egg. Salazzle will sleep next to you to make sure of that,” Tsukishima once again calmly reassured.

Yamaguchi hummed anxiously but didn’t say much more. His mind was once more jumbled with all sorts of thoughts. What if something went wrong. What if the egg got too cold. What if the Pokemon hatching from it was a fire type and became sick from the rain. Every possible problem shot through his mind. The atmosphere became thick with his worry.

“It’s going to be fine, so stop worrying,” Tsukishima snapped.

The two trainers had decided to call it an early night. The rain was pouring steadily and as Yamaguchi followed Tsukishima into their tent he could not help but feel as if once more he were being watched. He looked over his shoulder gazing out into the wet darkness and saw nothing. He shook it off to be nothing more than stress from the day getting to him. With a shake of his head, he closed the zipper and settled in for the night.

With the egg held close to his chest, Yamaguchi fell into a deep sleep almost instantly. His dreams were odd and full of bright blinding colors. He dreamt that whatever had been following them had snuck into the camp and stole away all their supplies. When he chased after it he found only Futakuchi, who told Yamaguchi to give it up, he was not cut out to be a showcase contestant. Yamaguchi felt tears spill from his eyes as egg his hatched into an Aerodactyl and ate Futakuchi. It then turned on Yamaguchi and went after him. 

Drenched in sweat, Yamaguchi woke in the middle of the night. The egg was still secure in the blanket despite him rolling in his sleep. Rain pounded upon the tarp and for a moment Yamaguchi worried about flooding. Sitting up Yamaguchi looked around the tent. The inside was dry as can be and he reminded himself not to worry about things that wouldn’t happen. He held the glowing egg close once more, hoping to Arceus that it was not going to hatch into some sort of monster.

Yamaguchi took a few deep breaths, willing himself to calm down. The breathing worked wonders and once again drowsiness overtook him. He snuggled back into his sleeping bag as the egg glowed in his arms. As his eyelids become heavy once more as he swore he heard something brush up against the side of the tent.

“Just, the wind,” Yamaguchi mumbled to himself, not allowing his mind to think otherwise. He then drifted into dark dreamless sleep.

It was sprinkling when Yamaguchi and Tsukishima awoke early the next morning. There was a cool dampness in the air that set Yamaguchi on edge. He made sure to keep the egg tucked within his jacket as he went about his morning. Yamaguchi felt very much like a Kangaskhan as he carried the egg down his shirt. Despite how awkward it made his movements he was not going to allow the egg to become even remotely cold.

The two trainers had decided that they were going to stay put in camp until the egg had hatched. Wandering out into the rain while the egg glowed every few minutes was something Yamaguchi's refused to do. Tsukishima did not mind staying another night if it meant Yamaguchi would calm down.

“The weather forecast says it will clear up by this afternoon,” Tsukishima hummed as he fiddled with his tablet.

“Good, good,” Yamaguchi replied as he gathered their Pokemon's empty food dishes.

It was when Yamaguchi picked up the last dish that something very odd happened. The whole of the campground began to fill with a black haze. Yamaguchi stood up as both himself and the camp became swallowed by the darkness.

“Tsukki!” Yamaguchi called as he looked to where Tsukki had been sitting only to see the dark haze. He could hear the sound of their Pokemon cry in distress. He looked down to see Popplio bump into his leg. She looked up to Yamaguchi is worry.

“Yamaguchi, don’t move!” Yamaguchi heard Tsukki call from somewhere close by.

“What’s going on!” Yamaguchi asked, wrapping a protective arm around the middle of his stomach where his egg sat snug. He could not see an inch past his nose. Worry began to fill his body. 

“I’m pretty sure this is a Pokemon move of some sort,” Tsukishima replied with a frustrated grumble. “We must have upset something in the forest.”

“What should we- Ack!” Yamaguchi shouted as he felt something very hard ram him from behind square in the back. Yamaguchi fell hard to the floor on his side, making sure not to land on the egg. In his efforts to keep the egg from taking the fall it had somehow slipped from his jacket to the floor.

“Yamaguchi?!” Yamaguchi could hear Tsukishima ask in worry.

Yamaguchi immediately sat up upon realizing his egg was gone. “No! Where is it!” Yamaguchi shouted in pure panic. From beside him, Popplio released a loud and alarmed bark. Yamaguchi turned to see if she had seen the egg, and what he saw caused him to scream once more.

A face was staring right back at him. Just a face floating in the air. It took a moment for Yamaguchi to realize it as not a face but a mask. Behind the mast were the glowing red eyes of a Yamask. It only took Yamaguchi a moment to realize it wasn’t just holding a mask but also his glowing egg.

“Yamaguchi!?” Tsukishima called once more. Yamaguchi heard a scuffle of feet, but his attention was still on the ghost Pokemon in front of him.

Yamaguchi's eyes shot to the egg as it glowed in the Pokemon’s arms. “Please, give it back,” Yamaguchi tried, hoping a calm approach would work better than an aggressive one.

The Yamask didn’t seem at all interested in returning the egg. He held it in his arms, his red eyes studying it with much interest. Every time it glowed the Yamask would release a very thoughtful hum.

“Yamaguchi! Answer me!” Tsukishima shouted from nearby.

The student shout seemed to startle the Yamask. It looked from Yamaguchi than to Popplio. Yamaguchi knew at that moment that it was going to run.

“No! Don’t go!” Yamaguchi pleaded as the Yamask turned and took off with his egg. “Come back!” he cried, taking no time in following after the ghost type.

“Yamaguchi! What is going on?” Tsukishima called from within the mist.

“It has the egg,” Yamaguchi shouted but didn’t bother to stop running after Yamask. If Tsukishima said anything more, he didn’t hear it for his focus was on nothing more than the egg.

As Yamaguchi chased after the Pokemon in the dark mist, following the glow of the egg, he felt rain upon his head. He didn’t think twice about it as he focused all his senses on the egg. Yamaguchi knew he was the biggest mess up in the world but he was not going to allow the egg to come to any harm, even if it killed him.

As he followed after the Pokemon, the mist gradually let up until it was gone completely. Yamaguchi looked back for only a moment to see that their camp had indeed been swallowed by the mist. For a moment he thought of Tsukki who was still within the mist, but turned a moment later to focus back on the egg. Tsukki would be fine, and he could not allow this Pokemon to get away with his egg.

Yamaguchi followed the Yamask into the thick woods, adrenaline pumping through his body and allowing him to weave through the trees after the ghost Pokemon. As the woods became thicker, the chase became harder. In a moment, Yamaguchi's foot caught on a branch and he went down hard.

With his face coated with mud, Yamaguchi stumbled to his feet. He frantically looked around for Yamask and his egg but they were gone. His mind screamed ‘No! No! No!’ as tears clouded his vision. This couldn’t be happening. How could he have let his happen? He choked out a sob as he became drenched in rain.

Yamaguchi felt something push against the side of his leg and found Popplio looking up at him. He bent down to pick her up. As he did so Swirlix came up from behind, perched herself on his shoulder and Yamaguchi snuggling close to her. He hadn’t a clue they had both followed after him.

“I fucked up again,” Yamaguchi sobbed into Popplio. He had let the Yamask get away with the egg. After all the care he had taken in the end it had been for nothing. This was how everything always turned out for him.

Popplio gave a small whimper and Swirlix nuzzled close to Yamaguchi. Swirlix’s wet nose brushed against Yamaguchi's ear. She gave a small sniff and with it, an idea came to Yamaguchi. He had been cuddling with the egg all last night and morning. It was bound to be covered in his scent.

“Swirlix,” Yamaguchi said, his tone shaking with nerves. “Can you smell it? Can you smell the egg? It should have my scent.”

Swirlix looked to Yamaguchi in confusion for only a moment before taking a big whiff of him. She then closed her eyes and sniffed the wet rainy air. Yamaguchi worried that the rain would hinder her tracking, but he knew she had the best sniffer of any Pokemon. A long silence filled the woods as Swirlix sniffed and sniffed before she faced a certain direction.

“Did you catch its scent?” Yamaguchi asked in an urgent whisper. 

Swirlix gave a nod and a cry as she leaped from Yamaguchi’s shoulder and made in the direction. Yamaguchi wasted little time following her. With Popplio held tight in his arms, he rushed after Swirlix. They didn’t have to go far before they came across a very small clearing. Yamaguchi, Popplio, and Swirlix hunkered down behind a bush to examine the situation at hand.

Yamaguchi looked into the clearing to see that the Yamask had placed the egg in a pile of other nicknacks and trinkets he must have made off with. Yamask danced merrily around the pile of treasure. Yamaguchi didn’t know if this was a normal behavior of a Yamask or not but he swore at that moment he was not going to fail his beloved egg.

Not wasting any time he emerged from the bush into the clearing. He took a deep breath and released all his negative emotions. He had to stay focused. He could not let his worries hinder him now.

“Yamask, I am going to ask once more, give me back my egg,” Yamaguchi demanded, his tone firmer than it had ever been before. Popplio and Swirlix flanked either side of Yamaguchi, both ready to defend their unhatched sibling. All the while, the egg glowed brightly. 

Yamask turned to look at the three. He sent them a glare as he took a protective stance in front of the stash. He released a small growl showing he was not going to give in so easily.

“I don’t want to fight you. I just want my egg back,” Yamaguchi tried, staying surprisingly calm. Popplio released a bark to show they meant business otherwise.

Yamask was not impressed. It lashed out towards the three, sending a very aggressive Night Shade at them all. They took the hit head-on, and Yamaguchi gave a pained shout as he stumbled and tried not to fall down. Taking a direct attack was not something he was ever accustomed to, but he would do it for his egg.

“Popplio, water gun!” Yamaguchi grunted as he shook off the pain.

Popplio jumped into action. She sent a strong swift blast of water at the Yamask. The rain powering her water type move. The hit was direct and the Yamask fell back. In one motion, the Yamask released a haze from its body that resembled the haze that had swallowed the camp.

“Fairy Wind, Swirlix! Don’t let that haze cloud our vision!” Yamaguchi shouted, his mind working faster than ever.

Swirlix jumped into action and sent the haze away with her wind. Yamask seemed shocked for only a moment before it reoriented itself. It gave a growl before sending another Night Shade towards Popplio and Swirlix. The hit was direct, but he two Pokemon did not relent.

Yamaguchi’s mind raced. If he got Yamask away from the pile, perhaps he could get to the egg. Thinking quickly, he shouted his next command to Swirlix.

“Fairy Wind again, Swirlix. Blow him away from the egg!” Yamaguchi shouted, readying himself to make a run for it the second there was an opening.

Swirlix did as she was told and sent the fairy wind at the ghost type Pokemon. It worked, and Yamask was brushed to the side. Yamaguchi’s heart pounded with joy to see it had worked.

“Again, Swirlix!” Yamaguchi yelled and Swirlix once more blew Yamask further away from the pile.

Yamask retaliated with a flash of bright light that Yamaguchi recognized as Disable. It was a direct hit, and when Swirlix tried to use fairy wind once more she was unable to do so. She gave a small whimper, looking to her master in worry. 

“Crap!” Yamaguchi cursed. He gave a nod to Swirlix to show she had done well. Yamask was still too close, and they needed to push him back more. “Water Gun! Popplio! Knock him away as far as you can!”

Popplio gave a determined bark. She hunkered down as if she were revving up the attack. It was almost as if she were soaking up the rain within her body as it fell. She cried loudly as she released the water but to Yamaguchi's surprise, it wasn’t Water Gun she used but another attack. With her body surrounded by water, she charged the Yamask, who gave a muffled cry as it flew high into the sky and landed somewhere deep in the woods.

Yamaguchi didn’t waste any time in rushing forward to his beloved egg. He scooped it up. It was still warm but not as much as it had been. He whispered an “Oh thank Arceus” as he held it close. Popplio and Swirlix came up beside him. He turned to the two and held them close along with the egg. All three were drenched in rainwater as Yamaguchi held the hug.

“You two were amazing, just amazing,” Yamaguchi whispered in so much pride and joy his voice shook. As he did so, the rain let up and the sun began to peak through the thick clouds.

Yamaguchi looked up to see a small rainbow peeking through the canopy of the trees. Popplio barked with utter joy upon seeing it as Swirlix gave Yamaguchi's cheek a wet sloppy lick. Yamaguchi could not help but laugh as happy tears streamed from his eyes. All his troubles from the day before seemed so silly to him now.

A sense of invincibility washed over him. With these two Pokemon by his side, he was surely able to do anything he set out to do. Why had he ever been worried?

As this passed Yamaguchi’s mind the egg began to glow brightly. It glowed brighter than Yamaguchi had ever seen it glow before. Both Popplio and Swirlix stepped back to give the egg and Yamaguchi some room. Yamaguchi loosened his grip on the egg as he felt it form into a new shape in his arms. He looked down in wonder and joy as his egg began to hatch.

The glow morphed from an oval egg shape to a more elongated shape. Four legs sprang out the bottom as a long puffy tail grew out of its rear. Two long, floppy ears brushed against Yamaguchi’s cheek. As the glow let up Yamaguchi found himself holding a very small, Eevee.

The Eevee stay cradled quietly in Yamaguchi’s arms, and he felt his breath catch as he looked down to it. It was like no other Eevee he had ever seen before. Most Eevees were brown, but this Eevee was much lighter in color, almost a grayish tan. The small Eevee gave a little trill as it rolled in Yamaguchi’s arms and opened its large eyes.

Eevee and Yamaguchi held eye contact for several long seconds. Yamaguchi felt all sorts of emotions rush through his body. The Eevee looked to him in pure innocence before it trilled happily once more. Yamaguchi took little time in hugging the small, tan Eevee close.

“Welcome to this world,” Yamaguchi tenderly whispered, his voice holding nothing but love for the freshly hatched Pokemon.

Eevee trilled once more as it nuzzled Yamaguchi’s cheek. It wiggled as if it were trying to get even closer to Yamaguchi, despite already being in his arms. Both Popplio and Swirlix sighed in amazement at their new sister.

Yamaguchi smiled at the two as he lower Eevee for them both to see. “Eevee these two are you’re older sisters,” He calmly cooed as he turned Eevee to face Popplio and Swirlix.

Both Popplio and Swirlix greeted Eevee with happy welcoming cries. Eevee looked at the two with a quiet confusion that quickly turned to fear. With a small yelp, she struggled out of Yamaguchi’s grasp and burrowed down his shirt.

Yamaguchi fell back onto his bum as she did so. Swirlix and Popplio looked on, both alarmed by the reaction. Once down his shirt, Eevee pressed herself firmly against his chest as she shook. Yamaguchi wrapped his arms around her as he quietly hushed her.

“I guess she’s a little shy,” Yamaguchi quietly said to Swirlix and Popplio. “We’ll have to give her some time.” The two Pokemon nodded in understanding but both looked on in mild disappointment. 

Still slightly shaken by what had just happened and overwhelmed with a whole storm of emotions all Yamaguchi could do at the moment was stay where he sat and hope to calm both himself and Eevee down. It didn’t take long for Eevee’s shaking to subside until she had stopped altogether. Popplio and Swirlix snuggled up on either side of Yamaguchi.

It wasn’t long before Tsukishima and Salazzle came barreling through the woods into the clearing. The tall blond was soaked from head to toe and he had all sorts of leaves and twigs sticking out of his hair. Both he and Yamaguchi exchanged very surprised looks for several long moments before they both relaxed on realizing who the other was.

“Why did you run off like that?” Tsukishima almost scolded, worry heavy in his voice.

“It was a Yamask. It took off with the egg,” Yamaguchi explained as he stood up and walked over to where Tsukki stood. All the while he cradled Eevee who was still down his shirt.

“The egg!?” Tsukishima gasped, looking around for said Pokemon egg. Salazzle made a b-line for the pile of nick nacks and searched feverishly.

“I already got it back,” Yamaguchi laughed as he watched Salazzle dig through the random junk.

Tsukishima visibly relaxed upon seeing the bulge in Yamaguchi's shirt. The worry he was carrying in his brow all but vanished as he reverted to his normal stoic self. “What happened to the Yamask?” he asked cooly. His change in tone was so quick that Yamaguchi had to stifle a laugh.

“We took care of it,” Yamaguchi replied, allowing his pride to show through clearly. Popplio and Swirlix followed suit. Both showing off how tough they felt in the moment.

“Oh, that’s good,” Tsukishima replied with an approving nod. 

Yamaguchi smiled so wildly he felt as if his cheeks were going to rip from his face. “There is something else I need to tell you,” Yamaguchi said with a cheeky grin.

Tsukishima lifted a curious eyebrow as Yamaguchi opened the top of his shirt and motioned for him to take a look. With his cheeks dusted ever so pink, Tsukishima looked down Yamaguchi’s shirt to find a ball of light tan fur curled up snug against Yamaguchi’s chest. “It hatched,” Tsukishima hummed in surprise.

“Into an Eevee,” Yamaguchi nodded. “I was wondering if that was what it was.”

“An Eevee is normally brown in color,” Tsukishima pointed out thoughtfully.

“This Eevee is tan for whatever reason,” Yamaguchi replied, holding the now sleeping Eevee close to his chest once more.

“Is it possibly a shiny Eevee?” Tsukishima questioned.

“I don’t know,” Yamaguchi shrugged. He had never seen a shiny Pokemon before so he hasn’t a clue what to look for to know. “Either way we should get back. She will need to eat. She only did just hatch,” He carried on, caring more about Eeveels health that appearance.

“Right,” Tsukishima nodded as if he had just been deep in thought. “Camp is this way,” he said before turning and leading the group out of the woods. Recalling his two Pokemon, Yamaguchi followed after Tsukishima. 

Neither talked as they headed back to the camp. Yamaguchi cradled Eevee gently as he did his best not to trip over any roots. Salazzle walked beside Yamaguchi, glancing at the bundle under his shirt every few steps. Tsukishima seemed tense for some reason, his shoulder stiff and refusing to make eye contact with Yamaguchi. It was only after they made it out of the woods did either of them talk.

“Are you okay, Tsukki?” Yamaguchi reluctantly asked.

Tsukishima did not reply. He stopped in his tracks as he looked anywhere but Yamaguchi. He looked as if he wanted to stay something but didn’t know how. This was not terribly uncommon with Tsukishima. Half the stuff that ever came out if his mouth was rude and insulting. When Tsukishima ever had anything sensitive he cared to talk about he always seemed to take his time sorting out his thoughts.

Yamaguchi quietly looked up at Tsukki. He allowed his friend to think through his thoughts. Tsukki was normally so cool in stressful situations. Perhaps he was upset by something Yamaguchi had said. This thought caused Yamaguchi’s heart to give an odd sort of beat. 

Tsukishima looked from the partly cloudy sky to Yamaguchi. His amber eyes studied Yamaguchi like they often did, but he said nothing. Yamaguchi’s cheeks went red under the stare and he unconsciously wiggled. Perhaps he should not have said anything.

“Next time,” Tsukishima began, choosing his words carefully. “Don’t run off on your own,” as he spoke, his cheeks went pink. He then turned on his heels and walked briskly back to the camp.

Steam must have been pouring out of Yamaguchi’s ears at how hot his face felt. He felt overwhelmed with a very guilty joy. Tsukki rarely ever spoke such caring words. Whenever Tsukki showed such pure concern for Yamaguchi it always set his heart aflutter. It took Yamaguchi a long moment before he was able to follow after Tsukki.

When back at camp, Yamaguchi had made himself busy with preparing a bottle for Eevee. He had recalled that newly hatched Pokemon like Eevee were to be bottle fed for the first few weeks after hatching. Eevee all the while refused to leave the safety of his shirt as he worked. Yamaguchi half hoped that once she got some food in her she would loosen up a bit.

With Eevee swaddled in the green blanket, Yamaguchi held her close and fed her from a bottle Shimada had given him. Shimada must have known for sure that the egg would hatch into an Eevee for all the items he gave Yamaguchi were perfect for caring for a hatchling Eevee. 

Eevee sucked from the bottle and looked up to Yamaguchi with large adoring brown eyes. Yamaguchi looked back down at her finding the whole feeding to be very therapeutic and relaxing. His mind wandered to the days’ events. Never had he ever battled like he did against that Yamask. He felt almost foolish for forgetting that he was not alone on this journey. He spent so much time thinking about what he was unable to do that he forget about his team. Popplio and Swirlix were both amazing. With them by his side, Yamaguchi had nothing to worry about and Eevee was proof of this.

“I’ve decided not to go up against Lumiose Gym,” Yamaguchi announced as Eevee dozed off in his arms.

Tsukishima looked up from his book, mild surprise in his eyes from the sudden comment. “And what do you plan to do?” He asked.

“Showcases of course,” Yamaguchi replied, a large smile gracing his face.

Tsukishima replied with a knowing smile of his own. “You’ll do fine,” he mumbled in agreement before turning back to his book.

A warmth once again spread through Yamaguchi. At the moment he felt like he could do anything in the world. He looked to Eevee who was now sound asleep in his arms. As he held her close he swore he would not give up and would do everything in his power to take his team to greatness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! An Eevee!? Who saw that coming!? I couldn’t help myself, honestly. Yamaguchi needed an Eevee. Now the next question is who will Eevee evolve into? Umbreon, Sylveon or maybe even Vaporeon!?!?! Who know, maybe Eevee won’t even evolve!!! Cast your vote now, folks!!! And our dear Yama is finally ready for the Showcase! He is taking his first step towards his future! I am so proud of him! What does this spell for there travels now? There is only one way to find out so stay tuned!
> 
> As always I want to thank you all for your kind comments and reviews. I love to hear from you all. I so hope you are enjoying the story thus far so please so leave a comment or review and let me know. Also thanks to all of you who have left me kudos, book marks, follows and the sorts. It really lets me know that this fic is being touched and I’m not just talking to myself.
> 
> Once again I want to wish our dear Yamaguchi a happy happy birthday. My gift to him this year is the Shiny Eevee that just hatched in this chapter. I do hope he takes good care of it. Let’s all give a round of applause to your favorite freckled pinch server. Happy Birthday Yamaguchi <3
> 
> Well, that’s all I got for you this week, folks. See you next chapter.


	16. The Black Cat Stalks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! So we got ourselves chapter 16. With a newly hatched Eevee by his side and a goal in mind what new things will Yamaguchi see from here on out!
> 
> My current beta is doing such an awesome job!!!! They go by the name of Killer_Squids and can be found on AO3 here (https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killer_Squids). They can also be found on tumblr under the name land-banana. They have done a wonderful job with betaing for me so if you have time please give there page a look.
> 
> Now, let’s read chapter 16!!!

“And she is a shiny Eevee?” Shimada gawked from the other end of the Pokemon Center’s PC phone. His tone was very stilted and Yamaguchi had the sinking feeling Shimada knew this would have been the outcome.

Nonetheless, Yamaguchi could not help but smile like the brightest star as he cradled Eevee in his arms. The off-color Eevee looked to the PC in half curiosity and half uncertainty as Shimada’s voice emitted from the speakers. The only thing keeping her from fleeing was the fact that Yamaguchi showed no fear of the off machine.

“Yup, it seems so,” Yamaguchi cooed in reply, holding Eevee with much affection. “It was a total surprise to both Tsukki and I.” Eevee looked up at Yamaguchi booping their noses together. She gave a small happy trill as they did so.

“Well, she looks quite healthy. I take it you have been reading the books I lent you on hatchling care?” Shimada beamed as he watched the two bond with one another.

“I’ve read them from front to back!” Yamaguchi confirmed with much confidence. “Some I read two to three times,” he added in earnest, wanting to show how serious he took Eevee’s care.

“I knew I left her in good hands,” Shimada nodded. “Those books should tell you everything you need to know, but always feel free to reach out to me with any other questions you may have.”

“I wouldn’t want to be a bother…” Yamaguchi replied reluctantly. Shimada had already done so much for him but at the same time, he’d do anything for Eevee.

“It’s not a bother at all,” Shimada waved off. “In fact, it would be great for my research if you check in every once in a while with updates on Eevee,” he insisted with a glint in his eye. “I’d love to know her temperament and how quickly she matures, there is also her ability to get along with other Pokemon, as well as her strength in battle and-” he began to ramble in excitement before catching sight of Yamaguchi’s surprised confusion. “Oh, sorry, breeder talk.”

“N-no, no. I don’t mind,” Yamaguchi sputtered as he tried to shake off his surprise. “You’ve already done so much for me.”

“Well, it’s good to pass on the torch to the next generation,” Shimada said as he looked upon Yamaguchi and Eevee with pride. “I have faith that you will do a fine job in raising her.”

Yamaguchi’s cheeks went pink at the compliment. It was nice to have such open support from someone. “Thank you,” he replied in a shy almost whisper. A moment of silence hung between the older and younger trainer as Shimada smiled broadly at Yamaguchi’s shy nature.

“Well, I better let you two go,” Shimada sighed after the moment passed.

“I actually have one more thing I wanted to tell you,” Yamaguchi spoke up, his tone a bit unsure. He glanced to the side, finding it hard to look directly into the screen at the now curious Shimada.

Shimada released a small “Oh?” before waiting quietly for Yamaguchi to elaborate.

Yamaguchi glanced up at the screen before looking to the side once more. He held Eevee closer as he tried to think of the words he wished to say. “It’s about what you mentioned before... “ He started slowly as he carefully chose each word. “I’ve thought about it, my future,” He glanced to the PC screen once more to see Shimada’s reaction.

“You have, have you?” Shimada hummed calmly, not wanting his excitement to spook the younger trainer.

“Yes,” Yamaguchi said, his lips melting into a small smile. “I think I am going to give Pokemon Showcases a try,” he finished, his smile now full bloom with a hint of his unique, awkward shyness.

“That’s wonderful to hear,” Shimada cheered, doing his best not to overwhelm Yamaguchi with his enthusiasm at the news. “I have full faith that you will thrive on the stage, Yamaguchi.”

“Oh, um, thanks,” Yamaguchi mumbled, unsure why Shimada would have so much faith in him. He fidgeted awkwardly for a moment as he tried to shake off his momentary confusion. “I’m really excited to give it a go,” he added with a lot more earnestly.

“Have you picked where you are going to perform first?” Shimada asked, his tone still upbeat.

“No. I don’t really… I’m not really sure how it works still,” Yamaguchi admitted, deflating a bit.

“Oh, well that’s not a problem,” Shimada shrugged, doing his best to keep Yamaguchi from feeling down. “I can send you all the information you need to know about applying and where to research the various contests.”

 

“Really?” Yamaguchi perked up, though he did well to contain his relief. He really hadn’t a clue how one researched where and when showcases took place. “But, I wouldn’t want to burden you…”

“Nonsense,” Shimada laughed. “It’s not a burden and I’ve always wanted to try my hand at coaching,” he insisted. “So feel free to reach out to me with anything you might need.”

“That’s very kind of you,” Yamaguchi spoke quietly as he did his best to control the overwhelming gratitude he felt.

“I expect to hear from you once you have decided on your first Showcase,” Shimada pressed, his smile confident.

“I-” Yamaguchi began before seeing the determined look on the older man’s face. He didn’t understand why Shimada was being so kind to him, but he found he could not pass up the offer. Shimada was experienced, and that alone enticed Yamaguchi to reach out for his guidance. “I guess I will be relying on you a bit more then,” Yamaguchi replied with a small bow.

“That’s what I wanted to hear,” Shimada cheered with a smile. “Showcase performances aren’t easy but I have faith in you, Yamaguchi Tadashi,” he pressed once more.

“I… I won’t disappoint you,” Yamaguchi nodded, his eyes holding much more determination.

It wasn’t long before the two bid their farewell. Yamaguchi promised with check in with Shimada once he decided where to perform first. Hanging up the PC phone and turning around, Yamaguchi was surprised to find Tsukki standing behind him, leaning against the wall. Tsukki looked very agitated as he stood far too close to Yamaguchi.

“Are you finally done?” Tsukki snapped far more harshly than normal.

“Sorry, Tsukki. I didn’t realize how much time I was taking,” Yamaguchi replied, his tone shaky and unsure. He looked at his best friend with a mixture of hurt and concern. He expected to see an angry set of amber eyes set on him, but instead found that Tsukishima was looking around the Pokecenter as if he expected someone to jump out at them.

“Whatever. Let’s just get out of here,” Tsukishima grumbled, motioning for Yamaguchi to hurry it up.

“R-right,” Yamaguchi mumbled in confusion. He looked to his best friend in concern as Tsukki made for the exit. All the while, his amber eyes scanned the Pokecenter, which only caused Yamaguchi’s concern to increase as he followed after his friend. 

Since Eevee’s hatching, the two had been traveling for a few days heading back to Lumiose City so that Tsukishima could take on the gym there. They had decided to take a slightly different route than what they had taken previously. The one they were on now was a more roundabout way but intercepted many more towns and Pokemon Centers for Eevee’s sake. Surprisingly, Tsukki had insisted they go this way. He claimed he wanted to see new places, but Yamaguchi suspected that he too wanted to make sure Eevee was cared for properly. 

As the two made their way to the next Pokecenter, Tsukishima’s stride went from hasty and rushed to just slightly faster than normal. The whole while Yamaguchi could not help but worry over his friend’s odd behavior. He cradled Eevee gently in his arms as his eyes drilled into the back of Tsukki’s head. On most days Tsukki would have snapped at him for staring but today he didn’t seem to notice even in the slightest. 

“Tsukki, is everything okay?” Yamaguchi dared to ask after two hours into their journey.

“Yes, everything is fine, Yamaguchi. Why wouldn’t it be?” Tsukishima snapped, not bothering to look back as he did so.

“Well, you just seem a little on edge is all…” Yamaguchi gently mumbled, not wanting to trigger his friend anymore.

“I’m not on edge,” Tsukishima replied far too quickly. “I just want to get to the next Pokemon Center before dark,” he added in a failed attempt at sounding stable.

“Tsukki, is something is wrong-” Yamaguchi began only to have Tsukki cut him off.

“I said nothing is wrong! So, drop it” Tsukishima snarled, stopping in his tracks and glaring back at his traveling companion.

“S-Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi whimpered as he unconsciously flinched back. It had been several years since Yamaguchi had last been on the receiving end of an angry Tsukki. With his brow furrowed in concern, he held Eevee securely against his chest as he studied his best friend. Had his chat with Shimada really taken that long?

Upon seeing Yamaguchi's startled reaction, Tsukishima’s tense anger all but melted. He looked almost ashamed and for a moment he wasn’t able to look Yamaguchi in the eye. “No, you didn’t do anything wrong,” Tsukishima sighed, his shoulders releasing much tension as he did so. “I just had to get out of that Pokemon Center as soon as possible,” he carried on, looking somewhere to the side as he spoke.

“Why?” Yamaguchi asked, now even more confused as before. “Did something happen while I was on the phone?”

“Well, it was more like last night,” Tsukishima began as he seemed to struggle to explain himself. “While you were in the shower, this thing happened and…” he paused as he gave his head a small shake. The same kind of shake he often gave when thinking about Hinata and Kageyama.

“What?” Yamaguchi prompted, making sure not the be too demanding.

Tsukishima paused for a long moment as he seemed to be juggling his reply. “You know what, it doesn’t matter. It was last night and shouldn’t be a problem anymore,” he sighed.

“Tsukki!” Yamaguchi whined with a pout. “What happened!”

“Let’s just keep going,” Tsukishima insisted as he turned on his heels and carried on down the road.

“Wait, Tsukki! No fair!” Yamaguchi shouted as he chased after his travel companion. How could he start telling him and then stop like that? Despite Yamaguchi’s efforts, Tsukki refused to say any more for the rest of their travels that afternoon.

It wasn't long before the two trainers pulled over for their afternoon lunch. They found a small clearing off the beaten trail that shaded them just enough to protect them from the sun, but let enough light in to keep them both comfortably warm. Yamaguchi quickly whipped up their Pokemon’s meals before he and Tsukishima started on some sandwiches he had made earlier that morning. All the while, Eevee looked on in curiosity from Yamaguchi’s arms, watching the other Pokemon chow down on their meals.

Eevee was still far to new to eat solid food, and was equally too shy to interact with the other Pokemon, besides Salazzle who Eevee often treated like mommy number two. It was only last night that she was brave enough to peak out of Yamaguchi's shirt to say hello to Popplio and Swirlix. Fortunately for Yamaguchi, both of the older Pokemon did not seem terribly offended by Eevee’s shy nature.

Once he finished up his lunch, Yamaguchi prepared a bottle for Eevee. Finding a small patch of sun to sit in, he allowed Eevee to burrow down into his jacket as he fed her, almost feeling like a Kangaskhan as he did so. Yamaguchi looked on affectionately as he Eevee went to down on her meal. Her small nose wiggled this way and that as she squeaked with pleasure.

“I’m going to go refill our bottles with fresh water from the stream,” Tsukishima said as he scooped up their almost empty canteens. Tsukki was far more composed now, and almost back to his normal self.

“Thanks, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi smiled, looking up at his friend. He watched as Tsukki and his three Pokemon disappeared into the woods.

Popplio and Swirlix made themselves comfortable on either side of Yamaguchi as he carried on feeding Eevee. The two snoozed in the afternoon sun and the whole clearing took on a very relaxed setting. Yamaguchi leaned heavily against the tree as he did his best to not fall asleep himself. Finished with the bottle, Eevee too began to fall into a blissful sleep. This was the sort of relaxing moment Yamaguchi lived for.

As he allowed himself to relax with his Pokemon, his mind wandered to Tsukki. He wondered what got Tsukki so upset earlier. Last night when he had come back from his turn in the shower Tsukki had already turned in for the night. He hadn’t seemed too odd in the morning either. He had insisted on staying in the room while Yamaguchi made his call. Had he run into Hinata and Kageyama at some point? Was he really not upset with the amount of time Yamaguchi took talking with Shimada? It wasn’t like Tsukki to hide his frustration with Yamaguchi. It was all just so odd.

“I found you, Glasses,” came the singsong voice of a male from the other side of a rather large tree. “Run all you want, but a cat always finds its prey,” it purred.

Yamaguchi shot up, doing his best not to rouse Eevee. Both Popplio and Swirlix looked in the direction of the voice in equally startled confusion. Yamaguchi hadn’t a clue if he should reply or stay quiet. His eyes stayed fixed on the tree as he waited to see if the stranger would reveal himself.

The trees and bushes rustled this way and that a male trainer emerged from the woods into the clearing. He was a tall trainer whose black hair made it look as if he had only just rolled out of bed. His dark eyes were keen and almost mischievous as he scanned the clearing, and he had a cat-like smile upon his face. Releasing a deep, grumble like laugh, his eyes caught sight of Yamaguchi, who unintentionally flinched. The strangers smile slowly faded into a mix of confusion and disappointment.

“You’re not Glasses,” the stranger commented as he looked from Yamaguchi's freckled face to the bundle he held in his arms.

“No, I’m not!” Yamaguchi stated as a sense of maternal protectiveness set in. He held Eevee close. All the while, Popplio and Swirlix sat quietly on either side of Yamaguchi. Oddly enough, neither seemed too concerned about the new person coming despite his delinquent appearance. 

The man studied Yamaguchi for a moment, picking up on his defensive behavior. “Sorry, freckles, I didn’t mean to spook you or anything,” he said, his tone good natured. He held his hands in the air to emphasize he meant no harm. He then regained his cat-like smile as he studied the bundle in Yamaguchi’s arms.

“It’s fine, I guess,” Yamaguchi said as he eyed the stranger in suspicion. He was not yet sure if the trainer could be trusted.

The older trainer let loose a sheepish laugh at Yamaguchi’s scrutiny. In two long strides, he plopped himself beside Yamaguchi, pushing Swirlix assigned in the process. Swirlix let loose an indignant squeak only to have the stranger help her regain her balance. “Name is Kuroo,” the older trainer introduced, getting his face far too close to Yamaguchi’s for comfort. “Kuroo Tetsuro,” he finished with a large grin. By this point, his and Yamaguchi’s noses were almost touching.

Yamaguchi felt his cheeks grow pink as he noticed how horribly good looking Kuroo was now that he was up close. He leaned back up against the tree as he released a very stuttery “u-um, I-I’m,” unable to find his wording.

“Ah, yes. My natural charm does often make people go speechless,” Kuroo joked as his Cheshire smile grew. He then did Yamaguchi a favor and removed his face from Yamaguchi’s. “Now, what could be the name of such a cutie like yourself,” he prompted in what was probably meant to be a smooth tone but came across almost sinister.

“Yamaguchi Tadashi,” Yamaguchi replied in an almost whisper.

“Cute name for a cute trainer,” Kuroo winked.

Yamaguchi's cheeks went pink once more as he stared at Kuroo with his mouth agape. No one had ever called him cute this many times in a row beside his mother and grandmother. This reaction seemed to please Kuroo for he released a small snicker, his nose scrunching in the process. 

“So, Yamaguchi, what’s a cute trainer like yourself doing all alone in these woods?” Kuroo cooly asked in a way that tricked Yamaguchi into believing that this man was much more collected than he probably was.

“Stopped for lunch and a rest,” Yamaguchi replied, unsure how much information he wanted to disclose to this stranger.

“It could be dangerous to wander around in the woods like this alone,” Kuroo hummed with unclear intentions.

“I’m not alone,” Yamaguchi pointed out. “I have Swirlix and Popplio with me.”

“Oh, of course,” Kuroo chuckled. “I suppose you aren’t alone,” he hummed as he gave Swirlix’s head a soft and affectionate pat. 

To Yamaguchi’s horror, Swirlix didn’t seem to be alarmed by this complete stranger petting her. She almost seemed to be enjoying it. His expression went from shock to betrayal when Popplio joined in on the action, standing patiently for Kuroo to pet her next.

“They’re both quite friendly,” Kuroo commented good naturedly as he greeted Popplio and she released a few welcoming bubbled as he did do.

Yamaguchi’s Pokemon were indeed friendlier than the average Pokemon but never before had he seen them warm up to a stranger this quickly. He eyed Kuroo now in complete total suspicion. Who was this man and how was he able to get his Pokemon to warm up to him so fast?

“Hey, what’s that look for?” Kuroo laughed, catching Yamaguchi in the act.

“Who are you?” Yamaguchi asked before he could stop himself.

“I already told you,” Kuroo chuckled almost mockingly. “Names Kuroo and I’m-”

“I know, but why are you here, Kuroo?” Yamaguchi cut in, sounding ruder than he had meant to.

“Well, didn’t expect you to be so demanding, freckles,” Kuroo teased as he booped Yamaguchi on the nose.

Yamaguchi immediately flinched back as he shot Kuroo a look. “I told you my name is Yamaguchi, not Freckles,” He insisted with a frown.

“But Freckles is much cuter of a name,” Kuroo shot back cooly with another one of his Cheshire smiles. “Cute nickname for a cute trainer.”

Yamaguchi’s cheeks went red once more. He found himself struck speechless. He was unaccustomed to being on the receiving end of flirting, and didn’t even know where to start in terms of replying. “Did you just come here to tease me?” Yamaguchi eventually asked only after regaining a bit of his composure.

“Oh, no,” Kuroo laughed, throwing his head back. “You’re just an added bonus.”

Yamaguchi cocked an eyebrow as Kuroo sent him another sly smile. For as intimidating at this Kuroo looked, Yamaguchi didn’t feel the need to flee like he normally would in a situation like this. Something about this Kuroo character seemed safe.

“I was looking for a friend of mine,” Kuroo began to explain.

“A friend?” Yamaguchi questioned with a tilt of his head. “Did you and your travel companion get separated?”

“Sort of,” Kuroo hummed with a suspicious smile. “Well, he was actually someone I only just met yesterday.”

“Oh?” Yamaguchi said, scrunching his face up in utter confusion as to what Kuroo was getting at. 

“He and I were going to have a battle but he just ran off,” Kuroo gasped indignantly. “Can you believe that?”

“That sounds just horrible,” Yamaguchi strained a reply, unable to relate to Kuroo’s plight whatsoever. “Is there anything I can do to help you?” He found himself helplessly asking.

“Well, the trainer I am looking for is quite tall with blond-” Kuroo began to explain before being very suddenly cut off.

“How the fuck did you find us!?” Tsukishima growled as he entered the clearing. His amber eyes were filled with a mixture of frustration and annoyance as he looked to Kuroo.

“Glasses, I found you!” Kuroo sarcastically cheered as he stood up from where he sat.

“No!” Tsushima quickly replied.

“Tsukki?” Yamaguchi asked in uncertainty. He was shocked to see Tsukki’s anger from before had suddenly returned upon seeing Kuroo. Yamaguchi had no clue what was going on.

“Aww, that’s no way to act, Tsukki,” Kuroo purred as he spoke Tsukishima’s nickname mockingly.

“Do not call me that,” Tsukishima growled in a way that even set a shiver down Popplio’s back.

“But I just want one small battle with you,” Kuroo frowned dramatically as he sauntered away from Yamaguchi to where Tsukki stood.

“No!” Tsukishima quickly snapped. “Yamaguchi, get up! We are leaving. Now!”

Yamaguchi stood up on command. He was far too lost and confused to do much more than was Tsukishima demanded. Even Popplio and Swirlix looked on in utter confusion at the dramatic scene.

“I’m just going to follow you, you know,” Kuroo cooly pointed out. His smile only grew at Tsukishima’s annoyance. 

“I told you last night that I have no interest in battling you,” Tsukishima warned.

Yamaguchi could do nothing more than look between the two in worry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG it was Kuroo! Following out two boys. Stalking grumpy old Tsukki!!!! I wonder, will Tsukki battle with Kuroo!? What is Kuroo going to do!? Oh my!!! There is only one way to find out and that is to stay tuned, folks!
> 
> Hey all, so next week is a holiday in the US and I will be traveling but I will do my best to post a chapter while I do so. I’m super sorry if I am unable to. It really all just depends on traveling and my ability to access the interwebs :P
> 
> So last weekend we celebrated Yamaguchi’s birthday and this weekend LETS GO EEVEE AND PIKACHU was released!!!! HURRAY. I got let’s go Eevee! It’s been so much fun playing it. Honestly, I had to peel myself away from my switch to get this up. So, who else got the game? Let me know if you got Eevee or Pikachu. Also, who is on your team?
> 
> As always, thank you all so much for the reviews and likes and the works. I just love to hear from you all so don’t hesitate to leave a review/comment. Also thank you to everyone who has left me a Kudos, followed/bookmarked the story and also to those of you who have favorited it. It really lets me know that people are still interested. 
> 
> I don’t have too much more to say. I am itching to get back to my switch and win my next badge!!!!
> 
> See you all next chapter!


	17. The Black Cat Talks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! So sorry for the upload skip over the US holiday. I was not able to get on line to upload but here I am now. Let’s see what sort of chaos Kuroo is going to bring to the table!
> 
> My current beta is doing such an awesome job!!!! They go by the name of Killer_Squids and can be found on AO3 here (https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killer_Squids). They can also be found on tumblr under the name land-banana. They have done a wonderful job with betaing for me so if you have time please give there page a look.
> 
> Without further ado, Chapter 17.

Yamaguchi did not mind the company of Kuroo. Tsukki seemed to loathe the cunning older trainer, but Yamaguchi found him to be quite nice. Kuroo had taken to following Tsukishima and Yamaguchi for the past day and a half. At first, he only trailed behind them, making a comment every now and then about how badly he wanted to battle against Tsukki and his Salazzle.

“Oh come on, Tsukki,” Kuroo would whine from behind the two. “It’s just one battle.”

“I told you to get lost, you annoying cat!” Tsukki would snap in reply.

Yamaguchi was left to just watch on as the process repeated itself. Kuroo would ask for a one on one battle with Tsukki and his Salazzle, and Tsukki would tell him to get lost. Yamaguchi hadn’t a clue why Tsukki was so opposed to this battle. Had something happened that night at the Pokemon Center? Kuroo, though quite cheeky, seemed like a nice enough guy. He wasn’t nearly as loud nor stupid as Hinata or Kageyama. 

“Tsukki, why are you so against battling Kuroo?” Yamaguchi had dared to ask as they began to pitch their tent for the evening.

“I hate it when people don’t listen-” But Tsukki didn’t finish for his voice caught in his throat as he looked upon something unsavory.

Yamaguchi followed his eyes to where Kuroo stood crouched over his own bag. He looked to be settling into the same camp spot as he and Tsukki. Tsukki’s cheeks blushed an angry pink as he frowned deeply.

“Hey, who said you could camp with us!” Tsukki warned as he stood at his full height.

Kuroo did not seem in the least bit surprised by Tsukki’s behavior. “Sorry, didn’t know this forest belonged to you two,” Kuroo mockingly replied. “You’re okay with me staying here, right Freckles?” he asked sending Yamaguchi a wink.

Before Yamaguchi could so much as reply, Tsukki stood in front of him. He looked up to find Tsukki fuming. He didn’t shake with anger, but his frown was stone cold and his eyes were sharp enough to cut through steel. Even Yamaguchi felt a wave of awkward discomfort wash over him.

“Maybe you should just take a hint,” Tsukishima replied with scathing sass. He stood tall as he did so but, despite his efforts none of his tactics seem to be having any effect on Kuroo.

“What, is Freckles not allowed to speak for himself?” Kuroo foolishly asked. “Or do you make all the calls in this relationship?”

Yamaguchi’s stomach dropped at the comment. He glanced over to see Tsukishima’s back go rigid. He knew Kuroo had made the wrong move by saying that, and that he needed to do some quick thinking to calm Tsukki down.

Yamaguchi could not help but send Kuroo a sorry look. He probably shouldn’t have dragged Yamaguchi into this argument in the first place. Yamaguchi knew Kuroo meant no harm by his comments, but Tsukki obviously did not care whether it was a genuine question or just a joke.

Kuroo backed up the second he saw Tsukishima’s back go stiff. His teasing edge melted to be more genuine for even without words he knew he had made a mistake. “Sorry, I didn't mean-” He began carefully.

“How dare you-” Tsukishima cut him off with a growl like a Mightyena. He took one long step as he did so but was cut short when Yamaguchi laid a hand on his arm.

“Tsukki,” Yamaguchi quietly whispered. He looked to his friend asking him, without words, to calm down. He knew Kuroo meant no harm. Tsukki took a sharp breath as his and Yamaguchi’s eyes met. Yamaguchi didn’t have to say anything more to talk his friend down.

“Fine! But he isn’t sleeping with us!” Tsukishima huffed, with it much of his tension left his shoulders. He still wore a deep frown but his anger subsided quite a bit.

Kuroo released a very interested hum as he watched the two friends interact.

The sharpness in Tsukishima’s eyes returned as he looked to Kuroo. “And I am still not going to battle you!” He snapped before turning on his heel and heading into the woods. “I’ll gather fire wood!” He stated, not bothering to look back at Yamaguchi or Kuroo.

Kuroo didn’t hesitate to help Yamaguchi finish setting up their camp. Yamaguchi quite liked Kuroo’s company. Despite the older trainer’s dark and cool look, he was actually quite a goofy guy. Even Eevee, who still shied away from Tsukki, Popplio, and Swirlix, had warmed up quickly to him. She didn’t dare wander into Kuroo’s kap but did allow the older trainer to pet her head.

“You must be some sort of Pokemon whisperer,” Yamaguchi gasped in amazement as Kuroo successfully stoked Eevee behind the ears. “Eevee is normally so shy with others.”

“Well, I do have the magic touch,” Kuroo smiled in such a cool way that Yamaguchi had to look to the side really fast.

The two now sat against a tree as they allowed themselves a moment's rest. Yamaguchi had busied himself writing in a notebook while Kuroo flipped through his tablet. Every now and then Kuroo would stifle a laugh or shake his head as he smiled at the tablet. Eevee sat comfortably down Yamaguchi’s jacket once more while Popplio tousled about the camp with Kuroo’s Pancham, whom he had only just caught the day before meeting Tsukki and Swirlix snoozed happily upon their half unpacked bags.

“I didn’t mean to get him so upset,” Kuroo sighed.

Yamaguchi looked up to see Kuroo gazing at the spot where Tsukki had exited the clearing. “Oh, he’ll be okay,” Yamaguchi insisted. He wasn’t unfamiliar with playing clean up after Tsukki had acted rudely towards someone else.

Kuroo turned and looked long and hard at Yamaguchi. His dark sharp eyes looked as if he were trying to solve a puzzled. He opened his mouth to speak but hesitated.

Yamaguchi unintentionally shrunk back a bit. He looked to Kuroo waiting for him to speak his mind. As he did so he felt a wave of awkwardness wash over the campsite.

“So, I take it you two have been friends for a while?” Kuroo finally decided to ask. He seemed unsatisfied with his own question.

“Yeah, how did you know?” Yamaguchi replied with a confused edge to his voice.

“Tsukishima doesn’t seem the type to allow new people to just hang around him,” Kuroo replied with a shrug. “With how he has been treating me and all…”

“Tsukki,” Yamaguchi began with a small pause to think. “He is just cautious of people, I guess,” he tried to explain but felt as if he had failed. “It just takes him a while to warm up to others,” he weakly settled on. He felt odd talking about Tsukki like this without him around.

“How long did it take after meeting each other for him to let you to follow him around like this without putting up a fuss?” Kuroo joked with a chuckle.

“Follow him around?” Yamaguchi asked, question mark almost visibly emerging from out his ears.

“Like, when did he stop trying to shake you off his tail like he’s doing with me,” Kuroo clarified, this time slightly more serious. 

“I don’t really…” Yamaguchi started, a bit flustered upon realizing what Kuroo was getting at. “In all honesty, I’m usually the one dragging Tsukki around,” he quietly admitted. He looked down to where Eevee lay asleep in his arms, not daring to look Kuroo’s way.

“What?” Kuroo almost laughed but wisely stopped himself. 

“I don’t very much like doing things on my own,” Yamaguchi expanded upon his explanation. “So whenever I wanted to do something I’d one way or another always get Tsukki to do it with me,” he shrugged as he dared to look up at Kuroo.

Kuroo didn’t look like he believed Yamaguchi in the least. “I don’t believe it,” Kuroo replied as he eyed Yamaguchi in pure suspicion. “Glasses is the most stubborn trainer I’ve ever met. No way he’d just follow your every whim.”

“Yeah, Tsukki is pretty stubborn,” Yamaguchi admitted as he stifled a chuckle. “I always had to coax him into doing stuff with me. He always put up some sort of fuss any time I brought up doing a thing,” Yamaguchi reminisce, his eyes back on Eevee as he played with her soft fur. “Even this journey we are on now, it took me almost two months to get him to agree to come to Kalos with me.”

“You don’t say?” Kuroo hummed as his cat-like smile returned.

“Yeah, I asked him about it every day,” Yamaguchi sighed at the not so far off memory. “I bugged him so much he even stopped talking to me for a few days. He was just so stubborn, and I was so mad at him,” Yamaguchi smiled at the memory. “I went to his house every day and one day, on my way home from trying to coax him, I fell and sprained my ankle,” he laughed at his own clumsiness. “The next time I saw him he asked me when we planned on leaving for Kalos,” Yamaguchi sighed with nostalgia. 

“I wonder what changed his mind?” Kuroo asked with a sarcastic edge.

“I have no clue,” Yamaguchi genuinely replied. “I don’t know what changed his mind but I am happy he decided to come along,” he insisted as he looked at Kuroo again. He was surprised to find Kuroo smiling.

“I think I know what changed his mind,” Kuroo said with a cheshire smile.

“You do?” Yamaguchi asked with a confused shake of his head. “What? How do you know?”

“It’s a secret,” Kuroo playfully replied. “You have to figure it out yourself,” he said as he playfully bumped his shoulder with Yamaguchi’s.

“No, tell me!” Yamaguchi whined as his cheeks went red.

“Looks like Tsukki isn’t the only stubborn one,” Kuroo replied as he leaned away from Yamaguchi who had tried to nudge him back.

“I don’t know why I was being so nice to you,” Yamaguchi pouted as his cheeks puffed out like a Jigglypuff. 

Kuroo laughed as he ruffled Yamaguchi’s messy brown hair. “Oh lighten up. It’s better for you to figure these things out on your own anyway,” Kuroo said, sounding like a father talking to his son.

“Gee, thanks,” Yamaguchi pouted, refusing to look Kuroo’s way.

“Aww come on. How could anyone hate Uncle Kuroo?” Kuroo prompted playfully. He nudged Yamaguchi once more as he sent the boy a very goofy smile. Yamaguchi, weak to such tactics, ended up smiling himself. Soon both were laughing quite openly.

“You really are something else,” Yamaguchi laughed, doing his best not to disturb Eevee as he did so. “If you keep acting like this, Tsukki will never battle you.”

“Well, we’ll just have to see about that,” Kuroo replied with a cunning glint in his eyes.

Yamaguchi looked to the older trainer in mild confusion, unsure what he meant by it.

A moment later something caught Kuroo’s eye. “What’s that you go there, Freckles?” Kuroo hummed as he pointed to a notebook that had fallen out of Yamaguchi’s pocket during their giggle session. 

Yamaguchi started scooping up the notebook. “N-nothing really,” he insisted, his shoulders hunched suspiciously. Despite not even looking at Kuroo, he could feel Kuroo’s cat-like smile beside him.

“Harboring secrets, huh?” Kuroo teased as he gave Yamaguchi a playful nudge. “Wouldn’t be writing about Tsukki would you?” he suggestively asked. 

Yamaguchi felt every last inch of himself heat up. He knew his face was red to his ears, but hid his notebook nonetheless. “N-N-No!” Yamaguchi practically shouted. “Th-that would be weird,” he stammered.

“If it ain’t Tsukki then what is it?” Kuroo heckled as he made to lean over Yamaguchi to get a grab at the notebook.

“It’s nothing juicy, I swear,” Yamaguchi retorted as he leaned away from Kuroo. In the process of their banter Eevee had awoken. She gave a small mew of concern that caught Yamaguchi’s attention. “Oh, now you woke her up!”

“Hey, she would still be sleeping if you just told me what is in the notebook,” Kuroo replied coolly, though his smile was still quite prominent. 

“It’s rude to read people’s private notebooks,” Yamaguchi pouted.

“Well, I’m sorry for disturbing your little princess,” Kuroo replied in a baby voice and he scratched Eevee behind the ear. Eevee gave a small happy purr as she leaned into Kuroo’s hand.

A long silence hung in the small campsite. Kuroo carried on scratching at Eevee’s cheek as the small brown pokemon purred away. Yamaguchi sat in a moment of deep thought as he studied Kuroo’s hand.

“If you must know what is in the notebook...” Yamaguchi began tentatively. “It’s just some notes I’ve been jotting down for my showcase routine,” he dare not look at Kuroo as he spoke.

“What? Really?” Kuroo asked, genuinely surprised. “I thought for sure it was something like a love journal.”

“No, it’s not a love journal,” Yamaguchi replied far too quickly, his cheeks pink at the idea of a love journal. “It’s just some move combination ideas and dance steps I’ve been thinking of the past week or so.” Yamaguchi hadn’t really talked much about his routine idea for his showcase. In fact, he hadn’t even decided on what showcase he would use as his debut.

“Oh, I mean, I’m not a showcase contestant myself but if you ever need any advice I’m here for you,” Kuroo insisted in such a way that Yamaguchi was genuinely surprised. 

“I haven’t really talked about it much with anyone… yet,” Yamaguchi said, still blushing from Kuroo’s kind offer.

“Not even Tsukki?” Kuroo asked, his tone holding a hint of a plot that Yamaguchi didn’t catch.

“No,” Yamaguchi said wish a shake of his head. “Tsukki is busy with his upcoming gym battle and I barely have any idea what I plan to do. I don’t want to bother him.”

“Have you had a chance to try out any of your ideas yet?” Kuroo hummed as a smile grew on his lips.

“No, not yet,” Yamaguchi fidgeted awkwardly. “I’ve only just solidified my ideas yesterday so…”

“Well, I wouldn’t mind seeing what you’ve got and giving you advice,” Kuroo insisted as he leaned into Yamaguchi’s bubble. “I’ve seen quite a few showcases in my day so I do know what a stunning move should look like.”

Yamaguchi found himself almost nose to nose with the older trainer. He leaned back a bit as he considered the offer. A long silence hung in the air as he did so but before he could answer a loud rusting of bushes announced Tsukki’s return. 

Tsukki’s eyes narrowed as he caught sight of Kuroo getting far too cozy with his best friend. Yamaguchi looked from Kuroo to Tsukki. It became very obvious to him how suspicious the whole scene must have looked to Tsukki. On instinct, Yamaguchi pushed Kuroo back as his cheeks went bright red. All the while Kuroo smiled from ear to ear, almost as if he had perfectly planned it.

“What are you doing?” Tsukishima snapped, his sharp eyes on Kuroo.

“Why so accusatory, Tsukki?” Kuroo cooly replied as he backed off Yamaguchi. “I was just offering my help to my friend here.”

Tsukki looked to Yamaguchi for clarification. Yamaguchi looked back to Tsukki, unsure what to say. Everything had all happened so fast. Tsukki’s eyes narrowed as they returned to Kuroo. Kuroo didn’t seem in the least bit worried. It was almost as if it was the reaction he wanted.

“Freckles here was telling me about his showcase routine,” Kuroo purred as he stood up. 

“He did?” Tsukishima roughly asked as he looked to Yamaguchi with a hint of hurt in his eyes.

The look in Tsukki’s eyes made Yamaguchi feel as if his heart had fallen into his stomach. “Well, I-” Yamaguchi began before being cut off. 

“He was going to debut for me some of his move ideas,” Kuroo cut in jauntily. “From what I understand, he hasn’t shared these ideas with anyone else.” It was almost like he was baiting Tsukki and it seemed to be working. 

“You better not have been picking on him,” Tsukishima accused as he stomped towards the older trainer. 

“I’m no bully, right Freckles,” Kuroo said with a playful wink.

“No- I- We were just talking,” Yamaguchi stammered as he too stood up. He felt a wave of nerves wash over him. He had no clue why Tsukki was so upset. He also worried that Tsukki might have gotten the wrong idea. He did his best to keep his nerves in check as he held Eevee in his arms. Eevee all the while looked upon Tsukki and Kuroo in concern.

“See, just talking,” Kuroo said as he held his chin high.

Tsukki looked to Yamaguchi for a long moment. Yamaguchi gave a small earnest nod to show he was not lying. Tsukki then looked to Kuroo who smiled back at him. He then released a long unsatisfied sigh.

“Being so accusatory like that has really hurt my feelings,” Kuroo sighed, feigning sadness.

“Well, I’m not sorry,” Tsukishima snapped, not even bothering to look at the older trainer. 

“Well then, if you think you are so tough why don’t we make a deal,” Kuroo hummed with an evil smile.

“Yeah, right,” Tsukishima grumbled.

“Yeah?” Kuroo said as he walked towards Yamaguchi. He slung a lazy arm around Yamaguchi’s shoulder. Yamaguchi’s back went stiff while Tsukki’s lips pursed. “You and me, Tsukki, let’s have a battle,” he began as he straightened the arm around Yamaguchi, who glanced over to see a cunning spark in Kuroo’s dark eyes.

Tsukki opened his mouth to oppose, but was unable to get a word in.

“If I win the battle than Yamaguchi here is going to become my new travel companion,” Kuroo’s voice was smooth and steady as he spoke. “If you win, then you get to keep him as your travel companion and I promise I will never touch him ever again.”

Yamaguchi made to jump back but found he was unable to. What was Kuroo even saying? Why would he think this would get Tsukki to battle him?

Tsukishima’s amber eyes burned with fire at the proposal. He mouth was set to a deep frown as a dark shadow overtook his face. He stood at his full height, and his arms shook with anger. He seemed too angry to even reply.

“Well, what do you say, Tsukki?” Kuroo coaxed as he placed his cheek against Yamaguchi’s

“I would never-” Tsukishima began in a deep, no joke, murderous voice. 

“If you forfeit then I win by default,” Kuroo cut in smoothly. “Hear that Yamaguchi, looks like you will be traveling with me from now on,” he laughed before his dark eyes turned back to Tsukki. “Well?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well now, I wonder what Kuroo has up his sleeve. He sure picked up on manipulating Tsukki pretty quick. I wonder what Tsukki will do!? Will he fight to keep Yamaguchi by his side and battle Kuroo? If he does battle Kuroo will he win!? Will he just walk away and allow Kuroo to have Yama!? There is only one way to find out and that is to read on!
> 
> I should be back on my normal schedule for now. Expect a chapter per a week posted over the weekends. Once the Christmas Holiday rolls around the upload may bet wonky once more but we’ll have to see closer to the Holiday. For the next few weeks until than uploads should be normal.
> 
> This year I am thankful for all my readers. Thank you all for taking the time to read this fic and follow along despite how long it is! Thank you to all who have left me kudos, bookmarks, follows and the works. Also thank you to those who have left comments and reviews. If there is one thing I love, its a review or comment from my readers. Please drop a review or comment down below and let me know what you think.
> 
> Well, that is all for now. See you all next chapter!


	18. The Black Cat Pounces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope you are ready for chapter 18! This really is a good one. Lets see what kind of rise Kuroo was able to get out of Tsukki.
> 
> My current beta is doing such an awesome job!!!! They go by the name of Killer_Squids and can be found on AO3 here (https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killer_Squids). They can also be found on tumblr under the name land-banana. They have done a wonderful job with betaing for me so if you have time please give there page a look.
> 
> On to chapter 18!

Yamaguchi had no clue how it had come to this. He sat stiffly on a large rock that stood next to a wide clearing. Yamaguchi’s eyes glanced from one side of the clearing, where Kuroo stood stretching his limbs, to the other side, where Tsukki stood with a deep frown. By Tsukki’s side sat a very confused but interested Salazzle. 

Kuroo had baited Tsukki and Tsukki had taken it surprisingly fast, and Yamaguchi could not understand why Tsukki had become so angry so quickly. Sure, Kuroo had heckled Tsukki for the past day or so, but Tsukki normally didn’t rise to other people’s bait so quickly. All Kuroo wanted was for Yamaguchi to become his travel companion. It was a joke, wasn’t it? Did it really bother Tsukki that badly? The idea of such a thing set Yamaguchi’s heart into a strange flutter.

“So, Glasses, it’s a one on one. My Pokemon and I against you and your Salazzle,” Kuroo reiterated as he straightened. A large cat-like smile spread cunningly across his lips. “If I win, then Yamaguchi travels with me from now on,” as he said that, he sent a wink Yamaguchi’s direction. Yamaguchi’s cheeks went pink. Tsukki frowned deeply.

“And if I win, you need to get lost and never bother us again,” Tsukishima grumbled, his face stone cold and barely expressive.

“Sounds like a deal,” Kuroo growled with a tooth bearing smile. “You’ll have to ref for us, Yamaguchi,” he then added in a much less growly tone.

“R-Right,” Yamaguchi sputtered as he stood. In his jittery state, he almost dropped Eevee to the floor. The small Pokemon gave a small squeak that only caused Yamaguchi to feel like a bad pokemommy.

“I’m ready if you are, Glasses,” Kuroo hummed as he juggled a pokeball in one hand.

“Let’s just get this over with,” Tsukishima moaned.

Both trainers turned to Yamaguchi who nodded in understanding. “This is a one on one battle between Tsukki and Kuroo. They will each use one Pokemon and whoever’s Pokemon faints first losses. The last Pokemon standing is the winner,” he announced like an amateur. His cheeks went pink at the sound of his own shaky voice.

Shifting Eevee into just one arm, he raised his right arm high into the air. He looked from Tsukki to Kuroo, who both stood at the ready. A moment of silence hung heavy in the atmosphere.

“Go!” Yamaguchi shouted, his voice cracking a bit.

“Salazzle, let’s show this asshole why he shouldn’t bother us!” Tsukishima commanded, pointing forward to the center of the clearing. 

Salazzle gave a low excited hiss as she rushed forward at Tsukki’s command.

“Liepard, lets win us a new travel companion!” Kuroo crackle simultaneously. From Kuroo’s pokeball came a stunning Liepard whose eyes were just as sharp and cunning as her owner’s

Liepard looked to Salazzle sizing the lizard up. Turning her nose up, she gave an almost scoff like sigh after just one look over. Kuroo gave a small burst like chuckle from where he stood while Salazzle began to fume with anger.

“Salazzle, use Swagger!” Tsukishima commanded cooly, hoping to use Salazzles frustration to his advantage.

Salazzle gave a dangerous hiss as she stood on her haunches and puffed herself up to look bigger. She gave a sassy wag of her tail as she made to look down on Liepard. Unfortunately for Salazzle, the attack had little to no effect on Liepard.

“Nice try, Tsukki,” Kuroo mocked wickedly. “Liepard, use Night Slash!”

Liepard was fast. Very fast. So fast, in fact, that Yamaguchi had to blink several times as Liepard landed a direct hit on Salazzle. Salazzle flew back and landed with a pained grunt. Liepard gave a very snobby mew as she watched her opponent land hard. It was in that very moment that both Tsukki and Yamaguchi realized how strong this Liepard was.

“I hope that isn’t all you got, Tsukki,” Kuroo mocked with a laugh.

“We’ve only just begun!” Tsukishima growled. “Smog, Salazzle!” He steadily commanded as Salazzle stood quickly. 

In one quick move, Salazzle reared back and shot a stream of toxic gas at Liepard. 

The gas barely grazed the side of the cat as Liepard rolled out of the way. A bit of her fur bunched where the gas hit. Her sharp green eyes narrowed as she glared at Salazzle.

“Much faster than I expected,” Kuroo hummed with glee. He seemed to be enjoying himself quite a bit.

Tsukishima gave a frustrated growl. He was annoyed to see Kuroo enjoying himself so much. “Use Ember, Salazzle!”

“Sucker Punch, Liepard!” Kuroo quickly retorted.

Before Salazzle could even rear back to shoot her flame Liepard was on her. Yamaguchi gave a loud worried gasp as Salazzle received a direct blow to her gut. The large lizard flew up and landed hard once more.

“Salazzle!” Yamaguchi found himself calling. From his arms, Eevee let loose a worried cry of her own. It had been a very long time since he had ever seen anyone get the upper hand on Salazzle. She was normally the one with the upper hand, but it was clear to Yamaguchi the Liepard was the stronger of the two.

Salazzle laid still for only a moment before she struggled to her feet. 

“I know you can do this, Salazzle,” Tsukishima called as his amber eyes show relife at seeing his pokemon stand. For a moment he was worried that he had lost. He wasn’t ready to give Kuroo that satisfaction yet. “Double Slap, Salazzle.”

Salazzle shook her head before swiftly running forward. Her dark eyes zoned in on Liepard like a radar. 

“Yes, that's the kind of spirit I like to see in an opponent,” Kuroo whooped. “Get ready to dodge, Liepard. She means business!” 

Salazzle swung left and missed. She swung right and almost hit. With a determined hiss, she swung once more and landed a hit directly on the side of Liepard’s right foreleg. Salazzle hissed in satisfaction as she made contact.

Liepard gave an angry hiss as the fur on her forearm became ragged. The attack didn’t seem to do much damage but Liepard didn’t seem to take kindly to having her fur messed up.

“Told you to keep your, wits about you,” Kuroo laughed causing his Liepard to shoot him a quick glare. “Don’t get sloppy, Liepard!”

“Double slap again!” Tsukishima shouted, using the moment to catch Kuroo and Liepard off guard.

Salazzle gave an excited hiss as she swung once more and landed another good hit on the distracted Liepard before the cat dodged away.

Yamaguchi gave a small cheer from the sidelines that didn’t go unnoticed by Tsukki or Salazzle.

“Playing a bit dirty are we?” Kuroo laughed. He seemed to be getting into the battle. “Alright. Night Slash!”

Liepard once again moved swiftly, landing a direct hit on the large lizard. 

Salazzle fell and tumbled back. This time the hit looked like it hurt. She lay where she landed for a long moment. Yamaguchi, in his worry for the lizard, forgot to count time. Fortunately, Salazzle struggled to her feet.

“Wow, still going!” Kuroo whistled.

“Salazzle and I don’t plan on losing to you,” Tsukishima grumbled, though his face was less tight. He almost seemed to be enjoying himself. “Poison gas, once more!”

Salazzle reared back and shot another wave of gas at Liepard, who dodged gracefully.

“You’re going to have to do better than that,” Kuroo taunted. “You wouldn’t want to lose your best friend would you?”

Tsukishima replied with a frustrated grunt. He looked to Yamauchi for a long moment. Yamaguchi looked back, his brow furrowed in worry. Tsukki’s amber eyes then filled with determination.

“Come on, Salazzle,” Tsukishima shouted. “Dragon Rage!”

“That’s more like it!” Kuroo growled in excitement. “Liepard, use Sucker Punch once more.

Liepard gave a small growl as she raced toward Salazzle. Salazzle reared back as she shot a burst of purple-blue dragon flames at the cat. The flames hit Liepard head on. 

Yamaguchi gave a loud cheer as he watched the flame make contact, but his excitement died in this throat as he watched Liepard burst through the flames. The agile cat came down hard on Salazzle. With one strong hit from her clawed paw, she sent Salazzle flying.

Salazzle landed hard just in front on Tsukishima’s feet. As the flames and dust on the field cleared, Salazzle didn’t move. Yamaguchi stood in utter shock. He waited for the lizard to get up but she didn’t. It was only when Kuroo cleared his throat did Yamaguchi shake from his shock.

“Salazzle is unable to battle,” Yamauchi announced, his voice sounding oddly foreign. “Kuroo is the winner.”

Kuroo gave a hearty laugh from his side of the field before calling Liepard back to his side. “Good work, girl,” he cheered, scratching her behind the ear.

Tsukishima looked down at his fainted Salazzle. With his amber eyes full of shock, he stood silent. He didn’t say a word, nor did he call Salazzle back to her ball.

All the while, Yamaguchi’s eyes stayed fixed on Tsukki. It had been a long time since he had seen anyone beat Tsukki this badly. He wanted to rush to his friend’s side, but the shock of the battle left his legs quite numb.

“That was a nice battle,” Kuroo praised as he made his way over to Tsukishima’s end of the field. “You put up a great fight for a beginner.” He stopped short in front of Tsukishima, putting a hand out for a shake.

Tsukishima looked from Salazzle to Kuroo’s hand to Kuroo. His shock melted into a mix of anger and annoyance. He didn’t make a move to take Kuroo’s hand.

Yamaguchi looked on in worry. Tsukki seemed to be taking this loss very hard. His stomach began to bubble as he hoped this loss didn’t discourage Tsukki in any way. His best friend could be quite sensitive. 

Before any more could be said, Kuroo gave a bark-like laugh as he took Tsukki into a very familiar and playful headlock. The tension in the air all but lifted as Tsukki released a very undignified ‘ack’ and failed to struggle out. 

“Tsukki!” Yamaguchi weakly gasped as he watched the two struggled amongst each other.

“Let me go!” Tsukki barked in anger as he failed to dislodge his head from Kuroo’s arm.

“It’s rude not to shake hands after such a friendly battle,” Kuroo teased as he refused to relent. “And remember what my prize is?” He hissed playfully as he glanced Yamaguchi's way.

With a small ‘eep’ Yamaguchi jumped back. He had almost forgotten the stakes of the battle. There was no way Kuroo could make him stop his journey with Tsukki.

Kuroo sent Yamaguchi a wicked Cheshire smile before he bent forward and whispered something into the struggling Tsukki’s ear. 

From where Yamaguchi stood, he couldn’t hear what was being said, but it must have been something significant, for Tsukki stopped struggling altogether. Tsukki’s pale cheeks turned so red, Yamaguchi was afraid he was unable to breathe. A beat of silence hung in the air before Kuroo broke out in laughter again. With a stream of expletives, Tsukki succeeded in wrenching his head from Kuroo’s grip.

Tsukishima sneered as he rubbed his neck, will the while sending Kuroo dirty looks. His cheeks were still quite red as he did so.

In one motion Kuroo turned on Yamaguchi. With a jaunty swagger, he made his way to where Yamaguchi stood. Yamaguchi took a step back. He had no clue what Kuroo was going to do or say next.

“I’ve decided to let you go free, Freckles,” Kuroo began before Yamaguchi could utter a single word.

“What?” Yamaguchi breathed, unsure what he meant by that.

“Glasses over there would probably die if I took you away from him,” Kuroo laughed as he shot a very pouty Tsukki a look.

“Die?” Yamaguchi questioned as he looked to Tsukki. He had no clue what Kuroo meant. Tsukki was the most capable person Yamaguchi knew.

“Instead of stealing you away I have decided on a new reward,” Kuroo hummed as he leaned into Yamaguchi's space. A small warning growl could be heard from where Tsukki stood.

“A-and th-that would be?” Yamaguchi dared to ask.

Placing a hand on Yamaguchi’s back, Kuroo leaned in far too close to Yamaguchi's face. With their noses almost touching, Yamaguchi felt his cheeks go bright red as he shut his eyes and did his best to push away. What was Kuroo doing!? An angry choking noise could be heard from Tsukki along with the sound of stomping feet.

“Why, I want you to debut your showcase moves for me, Freckles,” Kuroo sweetly cooed, speaking only centimeters away from Yamauchi's lips. He then burst into a wild cackle as Tsukishima roughy pulled him away from Yamaguchi.

“What do you think you are doing?” Tsukishima snapped as he roughly handed Kuroo.

“Oh, right, his first kiss should be saved for someone special,” Kuroo teased, enjoying the rise he was getting out of Tsukishima.

Yamaguchi stood stunned as Kuroo’s words processed in his mind. “W-What?” Yamaguchi sputtered as he watched an angry Tsukishima comically pull a laughing Kuroo back. 

“No one thinks you’re funny,” Tsukishima grumbled as he roughly released Kuroo.

“That’s because you two are the funny ones,” Kuroo replied as he eased up on his laugh. “Never in all my years, so clueless, so angsty,” he mumbled to himself between small bouts of laughing.

“So, I don’t have to go with you?” Yamaguchi tentatively asked.

Kuroo stifled a giggle at the question but did well to pull himself under control. “No, no,” Kuroo reiterated. “How about instead you just show me your showcase routine,” he suggested with a small shrug.

“I…” Yamaguchi found himself at a loss of words. He looked to Tsukki for help but got none. “Sure, if that's what you prefer,” Yamaguchi shrugged.

“And because I am so nice, I will insist on Tsukki joining us,” Kuroo added mockingly.

“Don’t call me Tsukki!” Tsukishima replied, leaning away from Kuroo.

“Sounds good to me,” Yamaguchi said hopefully as he looked to Tsukki.

Tsukki’s sharp gaze melted as his and Yamaguchi’s eyes met. He features became softer as he released a small sigh. “Whatever, fine,” he mumbled, looking to the side.

Yamaguchi felt a smile bloom on his lips as he watched Kuroo give Tsukki an unnecessary pat on the back. The two trainers didn’t really seem to get along too well, but something about Kuroo really added a bit of spice to their travels. He was able to rile Tsukishima up in a way that no one else seemed to be able to do. It was good for Tsukki and that made Yamaguchi happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So who saw that coming? Anyone? Who thought Tsukki was going to win? Who was placed their bets on Kuroo? Show of hands. Also, Kuroo would never separate two best friends. He has a similar bond with Kenma so he wouldn’t have it in him. Beside, Kuroo really is a nice guy :P I wonder where their adventures are going to take them next. Let’s read on to find out!
> 
> I should be able to get chapter 19 out on time so I hope to see you all there!
> 
> As always, thank you all so much for the Kudos, Bookmarks, Followers and comments/reviews. I appreciate every last one of them. It really lets me know who is reading and your enjoyment. If you have time do leave a comment or review and let me know what you think of the chapter or the fic as a whole. Feedback from the readers is the best!
> 
> Well, that is all for now! See you next chapter!!


	19. The Alleyway

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ** My current Beta reader is away for a while. If any of you are interested in being my beta for a while let me know. I may not update until I find someone. You can contact me on tumblr @pastaprincess or contact me on here. Let me know if you are interested!!! I could use the help***
> 
> Hey all! I hope you are having a great Holiday season. Somehow I am still finding time to write and post. That being said here is chapter 19. I hope you enjoy. It was a fun one to write. Let’s see what happens next with these three bois.
> 
> My current beta is doing such an awesome job!!!! Even during such a busy season they make time to edit this fic so it is readable for you all. They go by the name of Killer_Squids and can be found on AO3 here (https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killer_Squids). They can also be found on tumblr under the name land-banana. They have done a wonderful job with betaing for me so if you have time please give their page a look. Let them know you appreciate the work they do on this fic because without them this would be a lot less pleasant for all of you to read because I am horrible with punctuation and such. They are the real hero here!
> 
> Without further ado here is chapter 19!

Yamaguchi stood by large building just across from the Lumiose Gym. In his arms, he cradled Eevee who suckled feverishly away at the bottle in his hand. Yamaguchi looked over across the way to where Kuroo stood beside Tsukki, taunting the blond trainer as Tsukki talked with an employee at the gym about battling that day. Yamaguchi stifled a small laugh as he watched Tsukki snap at a sneaking Kuroo.

Their travels had been loads more lively since Kuroo had joined them. Tsukki made a fuss every day about the matter, but Kuroo didn’t hesitate to remind Tsukki that he’d won their battle and therefore won the right to travel with them. While Tsukki was bitter about it all, for the most part, he quieted down about Kuroo’s company with each passing day. 

Yamaguchi didn’t mind Kuroo’s company one bit. He brought a bit of spice to the days, but was unexpectedly knowledgeable about all sorts of stuff. He’d often try to aid Tsukki in his training; it often ended with Tsukki giving him the cold shoulder for a good hour. Kuroo also tried to help Yamaguchi with his showcase routine. The older trainer had never performed himself, but he seemed to have seen enough showcase competitions to give Yamaguchi some much-needed advice. He apparently had plenty of friends who performed.

Yamaguchi leaned against the wall of the large building he stood in front of as he carried on watching the two trainers. He had taken refuge under the shade to allow Eevee a comfortable place to feed before they carried on. Beside him sat a small alleyway that led to a quaint sitting area. Other than that, there wasn’t really anything or anyone else around him. He had contemplated going to the bench in the sitting area but decided he didn’t want to wander too far from his companions. He found the shade beside the alleyway was quiet and comfortable enough.

Yamaguchi released a content sigh as he looked down upon Eevee. The small brown fluff ball was just about halfway done with her lunch. Milk seeped out of the side of her mouth as she sucked away at the bottle. Yamaguchi often found himself wondering when she would start to teethe. Yamaguchi loved his feeding time with Eevee and would miss it once she was weaned off of the bottle. The two would always end bottle time with a good dose of cuddles before Eevee fell asleep for a long nap. Perhaps Tsukki was right, and he did spoil Eevee a bit too much. But could you blame him?

“Did you bring it?”

Yamaguchi perked up at the sudden voice. It was a harsh whisper, as if whoever spoke wanted to be sure no one else heard. Yamaguchi looked around, but saw no one. He brought Eevee protectively closer as he tried to locate the owner of the voice. He looked to see Tsukki speaking to a gym employee as Kuroo shot him a wink and a smile. Yamaguchi smiled weakly trying to hide his paranoia.

“No one followed you, right?” the harsh whisper spoke again. This time Yamaguchi identified the voice to belong to a girl. She sounded agitated and possibly upset.

“No, Commander, I have made sure nobody tailed me,” another voice replied, that time it was the voice of a man.

“I heard half of your squad almost got caught,” The women carried on cooly. “Two grunts were even taken into custody,” her voice was like a knife but stayed controlled.

Yamaguchi did his best to not make a sound. He didn’t know what these two people were going on about, but he definitely didn’t want them to find out he’d been eavesdropping the whole time. He held Eevee even closer as he did his best to stay calm. So far, Eevee hadn’t taken notice of his nerves.

“We are sorry, Commander, we didn’t mean to-” the man stammered clumsily. He was obviously scared of the woman he kept referring to as Commander.

“You know our Boss does not put up with such clumsy work!” The Commander snapped so harshly that even Yamaguchi gave a small start.

There was a long pause before the man replied with a quiet “Yes, Commander.” 

“Now, did you bring it?” The woman asked, her tone stern but less sharp.

There was the sound of shuffling as the crinkle of a bag being opened could be heard. “It’s right here.” the man replied.

“Perfect!” The woman sounded very pleased.

Yamaguchi, on pure instinct, found himself peeking around the corner. He did his best to stay hidden in the shadow of the building. He usually never snooped, as getting into someone else's business typically spelled unnecessary trouble. Nonetheless, he peeked around the corner. 

The alleyway was quite shaded, and the two people talking stood in the darkest part of the shadows, but he could make out two figures. There was a man who was in too much shadow for Yamaguchi to make out any features. Across from the man stood a woman, who stood with her back to Yamaguchi. She wore what looked to be a purple business jacket with a matching skirt, and blood red heels. Her hair fell past her shoulders, reaching her upper back. From where he stood, Yamaguchi couldn’t make out her hair color, but what he could make out was a large book in her perfectly manicured hands. The book was quite large and quite old. He could not see title, but the woman seemed utterly happy to have it. 

A wave of curiosity has washed over Yamauchi for a moment. The two had sounded like they had stolen some sort of priceless object, like a diamond or the latest piece of tech. Perhaps the book was an old first edition of a popular title. But they were exchanging it in a dark alleyway. Yamaguchi didn’t have much time to ponder, for at that moment, the man caught sight of him.

“Hey! Who’s there!?” the man shouted as he looked past the woman at Yamaguchi. 

“What!” Yamaguchi heard the woman gasp angrily. He didn’t wait around to find out if she too caught sight of him. Holding Eevee close he hightailed it back to Tsukki and Kuroo as swiftly as he could..

He was shaking when he made it back to the sides of his two friends. His body filled with adrenaline as he dared not look back at the alleyway. He half expected the two mystery people to chase after him, but by the reactions of Tsukki and Kuroo, that didn’t seem to be the case. Yamaguchi looked up to find them both looking at him in worry.

“You okay, Freckles?” Kuroo asked as he lifted on eyebrow in surprised worry.

Still shaken by being caught, Yamaguchi looked to Tsukki and Kuroo in a mix of shock and growing embarrassment. “I-um-I-ah!” He babbled incoherently. He then whipped around to look back at the alleyway, expecting to see the man and woman coming after him. To his shock, there didn't seem to be any life in the alleyway. He looked back to Kuroo and Tsukki, unsure of what to say.

“Yamaguchi, what happened?” Tsukki demanded, hidden worry lacing his voice.

Yamaguchi’s nerve subsided with each passing second. He was probably worrying over nothing. He most likely overheard two fans of some book series having a moment. Nothing for him to concern the other two over. It would be pointless to tell them anyways. With the sun to his back, the two mystery people probably didn’t get a good look at him anyways.

“I was a Beedrill,” Yamaguchi lied with a nervous smile. Tsukki was always able to see right through his lies.

“Beedrill?” Tsukki asked, unconvinced.

“I thought I saw one,” Yamaguchi nodded, refusing to relent now that he had already gone down the path of lying. “But it must have been the trick of the light.”

“Well, no need to worry, Freckles,” Kuroo laughed as he gave Yamaguchi’s shoulder a pat. “Beedrills aren’t often found in cities. They prefer the cleaner air of the forest.”

“Right,” Yamaguchi replied a bit too quickly. “I’m fine now,” he added with a forced smile.

Kuroo didn’t seem to think much of it, but Tsukki’s keen amber eyes studied Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi could tell that Tsukki wasn’t convinced. He knew Yamaguchi was not being truthful. Perhaps later Yamaguchi would come clean, but not right now.

“So, when is the gym battle going to be?” Yamaguchi happily sighed as he changed the subject.

“Well, fortunately for Tsukki here, the gym has a free slot for this evening,” Kuroo smiled like a cat as he spoke.

“Wow, that’s great,” Yamaguchi gave an artificial laugh. He did his best to ignore Tsukki’s prying eyes. “I guess we should hit the Pokemon center then,” He prompted, wanting nothing more than to get as far away from the ally as he could.

“Yes, probably a good idea,” Tsukishima hummed, his eyes still lingered on Yamaguchi, but his gaze was a bit less intense. Yamaguchi sent his friend the most innocent of smiles, but that did nothing to convince Tsukishima otherwise. 

“When you two look longingly into each other’s eyes like that, it makes me feel so lonely,” Kuroo mock cried before looping one arm around Yamaguchi’s shoulder and the other around Tsukki’s. He brought them in close, causing Tsukki to release a very dissatisfied hiss. Kuroo then guided the two in the direction of the Pokemon center. “Better heal up before the big battle.”

As the alleyway was left behind, Yamaguchi thanked Arceus for Kuroo’s wily ways.

By the time the three had made it to the Pokemon center, Yamaguchi’s worries were fading quickly. He had taken the time to rationalize what he had heard. It was nothing to worry about, and he wasn’t going to let it distract him. He had to focus on the matter at hand. Tsukki’s gym battle was only an hour away and he couldn’t distract himself from being there for his best friend.

Before long, Yamaguchi found himself standing outside the Lumiose Gym looking up at the tall tower. His eyes shined with amazement as the chrome finish of the building shined orange from the setting sun. Last time they had come there, the gym had been temporarily closed. As they entered the gym, he recalled once reading that the gym had been run by a robot at some point. Perhaps the robot was being fixed and that was why it was closed before.

Yamaguchi, with Eevee in his arms, Tsukishima and Kuroo were greeted by what Yamaguchi assumed to be an employee of the gym. A large man with a brown bushy beard, a green hat and blue construction overalls greeted them with a smile. Yamaguchi had not talked with many gym employees before but this man seemed different from what he expected.

“Tsukishima, I presume?” the man greeted. 

“Yes,” Tsukishima replied coolly. “And you're Citron?”

“Oh no, Citron is my son,” the man laughed heartily. “You can call me Limone. I’m just filling in for the normal greeter,” he explained, not dropping his friendly smile.

Tsukishima seemed to eye the cheerful adult with mild annoyance as he released a low ‘hum’ of understanding.

“It’s nice to see you again, Limone,” Kuroo greeted, pushing past Tsukki.

“Kuroo, back so soon?” Limone greeted with cheer, giving Kuroo a strong pat on the shoulder.

“Do you know each other?” Yamaguchi stupidly asked, knowing what the answer was. 

“Yeah, Kuroo here is one of the best trainers around!” Limone praised with another pat to Kuroo’s shoulder. Kuroo seemed to enjoy the attention.

Yamaguchi could not help but look to Kuroo in amazement. He had no clue Kuroo was a well-known trainer.

“Oh you’re being far too kind,” Kuroo waved it off, though he did so in such a way that led both Yamaguchi and Tsukki to believe he was fishing for more compliments.

“”Don’t be modest, Kuroo,” Limone laughed.

“Yeah, don’t be modest,” Tsukki snarked under his breath, and Yamaguchi stifled a laugh, which fortunately seemed to go unnoticed by Limone.

“Why, Kuroo was just here last week winning himself the Voltage Badge,” Limone carried on. “What was that, you fifth badge already?” He asked.

Kuroo seemed to start at the disclosure of this information.

“You’re collecting badges too!?” Yamaguchi gasped. Kuroo had never mentioned being part of the league. “And you have five already!”

Tsukishima seemed none too pleased at hearing this. He eyed Kuroo with a new type of annoyance.

“Yeah, well…” Kuroo shrugged, seeming to be under a bit of pressure at being caught.

“Why didn’t you tell us,” Yamaguchi asked in awe.

“You didn’t ask,” Kuroo replied matter of factly.

Yamaguchi seemed at a loss of words from the reply. Had they really not asked?

“Regardless of how many badges I may or may not have,” Kuroo carried on before much more could be said. “We are here for a certain other person to win their badge,” He turned to Tsukishima as he spoke.

Tsukishima frowned at him. 

“Right, I’ll take you to the field,” Limone gasped at forgetting about the battle. “It’s right this way,” He pointed to a pair of large doors. “Oh, and down that hall will lead you two to the spectator seating,” he added, pointing to the hall on the left.

“Good luck, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi hummed over his shoulder as he followed Kuroo to the spectator stands.

Tsukishima shot him a confident look as he gave a nod before walking through the two doors.

It wasn’t long before Yamaguchi found himself seated in the spectator stand beside Kuroo. They’d chosen the seats closest to the front on Tsukki’s side of the field. Tsukki stood on his end of the field as he look through his three Pokemon balls. They had been informed prior that this was a two pokemon battle. Tsukki hadn’t told Yamaguchi nor Kuroo about his strategy for the gym battle, which made Yamaguchi feel both excited and nervous.

Yamaguchi’s eyes wandered the field and he leaned back in his seat. Eevee sat in his lap, also looking around in curiosity, as was her first time in a gym. Perhaps all the new smells are what peaked her attention.

“So, when you battled here did you battle a robot?” Yamaguchi asked, glancing Kuroo’s way.

“What?” Kuroo stifled a laugh. “No,” he looked to Yamaguchi with a large smile that read ‘are you joking’.

“I mean, it’s just, I read that…” Yamaguchi blubbered as his cheeks turned pink.

Kuroo searched Yamaguchi for a long moment before releasing a long “Ooooh, right.” He laughed at himself for a good second before addressing Yamaguchi once more. “I forgot that at one point this gym had a robot gym leader but that was over ten years ago or something.”

“Ten years ago? Really?” Yamaguchi hummed. He could not recall what the article he had read said.

“Though, battling a robot would be pretty good,” Kuroo mentioned, leaning back in his seat and looking over the battlefield, his eyes not fixing on anything in particular. 

“Sounds terrifying to me,” Yamaguchi shuttered just thinking about it. His shiver alarmed Eevee for a moment, causing him to have to rub her head reassuringly.

Before any more could be said between the two, the door on the gym leader’s side of the battlefield slid open. Both Kuroo and Yamaguchi sat upright in their seats to get a good look, and Tsukishima stopped fiddling with Snivy’s ball as the door caught his attention. Yamaguchi was surprised to find that a girl not much older than he and Tsukki strode in through the door.

The girl had blonde hair and blue eyes. Her hair was french braided along her head that ended in a ponytail, at the base of which was a large yellow triangle beret. She wore a black dress with a frilly white skirt, and upon her shoulder was a very cheerful Dedenne. Yamaguchi was quite confused, as he recalled reading that the Lumiose Gym’s leader was a man.

“You must be Tsukishima,” the girl greeted with a cheerful giggle once she arrived at her side of the field. “My name is Eureka and I will be your opponent today.”

Tsukishima lifted a brow at this for he too did not expect to be facing a young girl. “I was under the impression that the gym leader here went by the name of Citron…” he replied flatly.

Eureka only looked put off for a moment before she regained her slightly less cheerful, composure. “Oh, that’s just my big brother,” Eureka laughed with a wave of her hand. “Sorry, he’s out right now, so you got me. Believe me, I’m a much fiercer opponent.”

 

Tsukishima did not seem convinced, but said nothing on the topic. “As long as I can win my badge, I don’t care who I have to battle,” he replied with a shrug.

“I can assure you that I do have the certification to give badges when the regular gym leader is out,” Eureka said with a smile and a nod. Her Dedenne gave a small squeak of agreement.

“Then I’ll take your word for it,” Tsukishima shrugged once more. He just wanted to get the battle over with.

“I wonder where Citron is off to,” Kuroo said from beside Yamaguchi. He looked a bit more serious and in thought.

Yamaguchi looked to Kuroo, surprised to see him so serious. He gave Eevee a small pat on the head to help calm himself. He wondered what got Kuroo’s normal cool mood to change so suddenly.

“Well then, let’s get this battle on the way,” Eureka shouted, looking to the referee.

“This battle is an official gym battle between Tsukishima Kei of Poni Island and Eureka, the Lumiose Gym Leader,” the referee began. “This is a two on two battle. The challenger is allowed to switch out his two Pokemon at any point in the battle but the gym leader may not. Whoever is left with a Pokemon able to battle is the winner. The first to have both Pokemon knocked out and unable to battle will be the loser. You may now start your battle.”

Simultaneously Tsukishima and Eureka called out their Pokemon of choice.

“Snivy, go!” Tsukishima commanded coolly, and Snivy jumped forth. She held a heavy frown as she sized Eureka up.

“Let’s go, Pachirisu,” Eureka called out, and a small white and blue squirrel like pokemon leaped from the ball. It came out with a loud cheer doing a few small circle laps, smarks emitting from its cheeks the whole time.

Snivy was unimpressed by her opponent’s antics. Yamaguchi, on the other hand, found Pachirisu to be quite adorable. The small blue and white squirrel didn’t seem to be too threatening, but Yamaguchi knew looks could be deceiving. This was an official gym battle after all.

“Snivy, use vine whip,” Tsukishima coolly commanded. 

With a confirming growl, Snivy sent two long whip-like vines directly at Pachirisu. Pachirisu easily avoided the attack as Eureka commanded it to “Use Quick Attack now!” Pachirisu was like a blue and white blur as he sped like a bullet towards Snivy, making a direct hit.

“Wow! So fast,” Yamaguchi gasped without realizing.

“Looks like Glasses was surprised, too,” Kuroo chuckled, his eyes examining a momentarily shocked Tsukishima.

Tsukishima scowled for only a moment before shooting, “Leech seed, now!”

Like two bullets, Snivy sent two seeds rocketing towards Pachirisu. The first barely missed, while the second hit Pachirisu square in the back. With a small cry, Pachirisu tumbled head over heels as vines grew from the seed and wound their way around Pachirisu. Snivy smirked proudly.

“Oh no, Pachirisu!” Eureka cried as energy began to be sucked from the small squirrel.

“Vine whip again!” Tsukishima did not miss a beat with commanding Snivy. 

Snivy shot two long vines Pachirisu’s way, and both made a direct hit. Pachirisu gave a small cry as he struggled to stay standing. 

“Pachirisu, use spark,” Eureka commanded, not ready to give up.

Pachirisu gave a labored cry before sending a wild stream of sparks towards Snivy. Snivy easily shook it off, as the electric attack didn’t seem to affect the grass-like Pokemon. 

“Let’s finish this, Snivy,” Tsukishima almost sighed. “Leaf Tornado!”

Snivy gave a powerful cry as she sent a tornado of swirling leaves towards the struggling Pachirisu. Pachirisu was buffered and battered as the attack hit. One could hear its small cries as it became engulfed with the leaves. Even Yamaguchi gave a small gasp of concern.

As the leaves cleared up, it revealed a motionless Pachirisu. The small Pokemon lay on the ground, completely passed out. A silence hung in the air as the referee examined Pachirisu.

“Pachirisu is unable to battle,” The man announced clearly. “Snivy is the winner!”

“Aw, drat!” Eureka pouted before calling Pachirisu back. “You got lucky this time, kid! Your next opponent won’t be so easy.”

Tsukishima gave a very small uncaring shrug before calling Snivy back to her ball. “Just call out your next Pokemon,” he sighed.

With a deep frown, it was obvious Eureka didn’t care for the attitude. Yamaguchi couldn’t help but wish for Tsukki to control himself sometimes. Kuroo, on the other hand, gave a small amused chuckle.

“Magnemite, let show this sour face what we are made of,” Eureka shouted as she summoned her next Pokemon.

“Bagon, time for some practice,” Tsukishima sassed, summoning the small blue dragon. Without missing a beat, Tsukishima commanded “Focus Energy, now!” Immediately, Bagon hunkered down as he focused his energy.

“Use tackle, Magnemite,” Eureka shouted.

Magnemite shot towards Bagon, only for Bagon to swiftly dodge the move. 

“No!” The gym leader huffed in frustration.

“Ember,” Tsukishima commanded, unable to hide his wicked smirk.

“No, watch out, Magnemite,” Eurika cried, but it was a little too late.

Bagon breathed out a large flame that critically hit Magnemite. The steel pokemon practically fell to the ground as it became red hot.

“Ember once more!” Tsukishima coolly commanded, his smirk still present.

Another burst of flames erupted from Bagon, and Magnemite was once again surrounded by flames. This time, when the flames cleared Magnemite did not move.

Moments later the referee shouted “Magnemite is unable to battle. Bagon is the winner. Tsukishima is the winner of the match.”

From the stands, Yamaguchi gave a loud whoop. He felt pride well up in his chest at Tsukki winning his second badge.

“Tsukki was amazing, that had to be the fastest gym battle in the world,” Yamaguchi cheered, looking to Kuroo.

Kuroo did not reply. With his eyes fixed on Tsukki, a small frown hung heavy on his lips. Yamaguchi followed the older trainers line of sight to find that Tsukki looked none too excited. He didn’t smile nor congratulate Bagon as he called him back into his ball. If someone were to walk into the gym at that moment they probably could have assumed Tsukki had lost.

Yamaguchi felt his heart sink at seeing his friend so down. Why wasn’t Tsukki happy? He didn’t even smile as Eureka handed him the golden Voltage Badge. He merely took it and didn’t bother to look the girl in the eyes.

“Well, an official win is an official win, no matter what the challenge,” Kuroo shrugged as he leaned back in his seat. Yamaguchi glanced towards Kuroo, unsure of what he meant. When he looked back to the field, Tsukishima was already heading to the exit.

As Kuroo and Yamaguchi stood, someone came rushing onto the field. It was Officer Jenny. She swiftly pushed past Tsukki, not even giving him any notice. She looked alarmed and in a rush. Tsukki sent the officer a small scowl before exiting the field.

Yamaguchi, on the other hand, found himself quite curious. What was going on? Both he and Kuroo leaned over the rails to get a better look. 

“Eureka, you need to come quick,” they heard Officer Jenny gasp. “Someone has broken into the Professor's office.”

Yamaguchi gave a shocked gasp. Were they talking about Professor Sycamore’s office? Yamaguchi’s curiosity only peaked more as he strained to hear more.

“What did they take?” Eureka gasped.

It was then that Officer Jenny looked up to Yamaguchi and Kuroo. Se sent them both stern looks as she shouted “This is confidential information, so I am going to have to ask for you two to leave.”

Yamaguchi leaned back a bit in shock. He had almost forgotten he was there. He badly wanted to know what had been taken from the Professor, but the look Officer Jenny shot him made him think otherwise.

“We better go,” Kuroo mumbled as he lead the way off the spectator stands.

Yamaguchi looked back at the two women on the field once more before following after Kuroo. It didn’t take them long to find Tsukki by the gym entrance. He looked up at the two with a deep frown as they approached.

“Took you two long enough,” Tsukishima grumbled.

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi apologized as he slid up next to his best friend. “Got a little sidetracked by the drama going on with Officer Jenny.” Yamaguchi glanced back at the entrance to the battlefield as his mind flashed to earlier that day in the alleyway. He half wondered if he should tell Officer Jenny about what he saw. 

“We should probably get going,” Tsukishima said, cutting Yamaguchi’s thought short.

“Oh, right,” Yamaguchi replied, looking back to his two friends. “Both Bagon and Snivy did a great job so I’ll cook them up a special dinner.” 

With a pink blush, Tsukishima gave a small ‘tch’ that caused Kuroo to chuckle.

“Well, I am going to catch up with you two after dinner so don’t wait up for me,” Kuroo said before turning towards the entrance to the battlefield.

“Wait, where are you going?” Yamaguchi called after.

“Don’t worry about it, just go ahead without me,” Kuroo called over his shoulder.

Tsukishima didn’t hesitate to leave the gym, though Yamaguchi glanced back towards Kuroo as he disappeared into the battlefield room before turning and following after Tsukki. As they exited the Gym, the alleyway from earlier that day caught Yamaguchi’s eyes. It was much darker now that the sun had gone down. The moonlight shown in front of it in an almost aluring way. His gaze lingered on it as a chill went down his spine. The two in the alleyway had exchanged a book. Probably something completely unrelated to what Officer Jenny had come to talk to Eureka about.

“Are you coming or not?” Tsukishima asked, shooting Yamaguchi a curious look.

“Ah! Yes, lets go,” Yamaguchi almost shouted as he looked to his best friend.

Tsukishima nodded before turning and heading in the direction of the Pokemon Center.

“You and your Pokemon really did do such a great job today,” Yamaguchi praised as he came up next to Tsukki. “Congratulations on the win, Tsukki.”

“Shut up, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima blushed in reply, though the darkness of night hid it well.

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi laughed as he allowed himself to relax beside his best friend, the dark alleyway forgotten with each step the two took.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well now. What an interesting development. I wonder what is going on. Who were those people in the ally? Should we worry? Perhaps it was nothing at all… Dear Yama needn’t stress. And Good for Tsukki getting another badge. I knew he could do it! I wonder what Kuroo when back to talk with Jenny and Eureka about. There is only one way to find out! Thats to keep reading!
> 
> Hey all. So with the holidays almost here I may or may not be uploading regularly. I will be traveling so we will see what happens and if I can get chapters out when I want. Mostly might have no internet on some days. We will see. I will still do my nest to get the chapters out on time.
> 
> As always, thank you all so much for the follows, kudos, bookmarks, comments and reviews. I love to hear from you all and the feedback really encourages me and brightens my day. Please leave a comment or review if you have the time and let me know how you are enjoying the story thus far!
> 
> Like I said above I could you a short term beta reader for the next few chapters. If you are interested please hit me up on tumblr @pastaprincess or let me know here. Thank you!
> 
> Well, that is all for now! See you all next chapter!


	20. The Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays All!! So here is good old Chapter 20! I don’t really have much to say about this chapter. I’m just interested in what you guys think of it. All I can really say is it is a more Tsukki centric chapter for the first time ever in this fic! I hope you enjoy. 
> 
> My current beta reader is on holiday so for this chapter it was beta read by our old friend heichousheadphones (https://heichousheadphones.tumblr.com/). Let’s thank them for taking time out of their holiday to substitute beta for us all.
> 
> It’s Tsukki time with chapter 20!

It was late by the time Kuroo had come back to the Pokemon Center’s hostle. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi had long since finished dinner and were already relaxing in their beds. Tsukki was on the top bunk relaxing as he listened to music while Yamaguchi sat reading a beginners guide to fashion and sewing. Eevee slept soundly in Yamaguchi’s lap, snoring ever so softly.

Kuroo’s entry was so sudden that, in his startled state, Yamaguchi almost hit his head on the top bunk. Eevee gave a very loud cry before panicking her way up Yamaguchi’s shirt, scratching his belly up all the while. Tsukki, who had been listening through headphones, merely opened one eye in acknowledgment. Kuroo looked deep in thought as he entered, not at first noticing the upset he had caused.

“Oh, sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you guys,” Kuroo apologised with a sheepish bow. His eyes lingered a bit longer on the shivering ball that was Eevee.

“No, it’s okay,” Yamaguchi quietly insisted as Tsukishima simultaneously hissed a loud “Have some damn manners.”

“We have dinner for you on the table,” Yamaguchi said, motion to a small table at the foot of Kuroo’s bunk bed.

“Aw thank you, Freckles,” Kuroo smiled, making his way to the table. “Always so thoughtful.”

“It’s just some leftover curry,” Yamaguchi waved off the compliment feeling a moment of shyness. 

“What took you so long anyways?” Tsukishima bluntly asked, now sitting up and being a part of the conversation.

“Oh, just wanted to make sure everything was okay,” Kuroo vaguely replied as he sat at the table and started on his meal. “Wow, Freckles. Your cooking is always getting better and better.”

Yamaguchi replied with a small blush as he unconsciously patted the still startled Eevee.

“I don’t know why you would even bother yourself with other people’s problems,” Tsukishima scoffed. He was scowling at Kuroo. He always seemed at odds with the older trainer no matter how peaceful Kuroo was behaving.

“It’s not a crime to care about others, you know,” Kuroo shrugged. “I know, Glasses, that you are not a stranger to caring,” he carried on, his eyes looking from Tsukishima to Yamaguchi in an almost accusing manner.

Tsukishima released a very throaty growl but didn’t take Kuroo’s bait. 

“Was everything okay?” Yamaguchi quickly asked, ignoring the odd exchange Kuroo and Tsukki just had.

“Just an item lost from the Professor's Lab,” Kuroo shrugged. “They don’t really have a lead at the moment but they suspect it may have been a scientist from the lab.”

“What was the item?” Yamaguchi reluctantly asked as he felt an odd, heavy uncomfortable feeling build in the pit of his stomach.

Kruoo took a moment to look at both Yamaguchi and Tsukishima before he replied. “You two needn’t worry yourself over this little situation. The authorities have it under control,” he insisted.

“Yeah, right,” Yamaguchi quietly breathed as he willed himself to relax.

“Wasn’t going to worry about it,” Tsukishima huffed insistently.

“So are you two going to hang ‘round the city for a few more days?” Kuroo asked, keen on changing the subject.

“Well…” Yamaguchi cut in before Tsukki could answer. “I have decided on my first showcase competition.” 

Tsukishima made a subtle surprised ‘hum’ while Kuroo whistled an interested “Have you now?”

“Yeah, it’s going to be located in Camphrier Town town in a few days from now,” Yamaguchi explained. “It’s focused more for beginners and first time showcase contestants and so I just thought it would be a good start for me,” Yamaguchi fidgeted as he spoke. He had meant to tell the others sooner but between the gym battle and their hectic travels he had forgotten.

“Sounds like a good fit if you ask me,” Kuroo agreed with a large cat-like smile. Yamaguchi smiled in return.

“I hope it’s okay with you two…” Yamaguchi quietly added.

“Why wouldn't it be?” Tsukishima replied from above. Yamaguchi wasn’t unable to see his best friend’s face but from his voice he could sense a bit of shyness.

“We’ll have to leave tomorrow though,” Yamaguchi clarified. The Showcase was in about a week so they wouldn’t be able to doddle. 

“I’ll be ready to go by tomorrow so don’t stress,” Tsukishima bluntly replied, knowing his best friend well.

Yamaguchi could only give a shy breathy laugh as a reply. Tsukki really does know him a little too well.

“Unfortunately, I will not be able to join you two,” Kuroo sighed loudly as he gave a large stretch that reminded Yamaguchi of a confident Tom Skitty.

“What? Why?” Yamaguchi asked in wide eyed surprise. 

“I guess our path just split here is all,” Kuroo said with another large stretch. “But don’t worry, Freckles, I’m sure our paths will cross again,” he ended with a cheeky wink.

“Oh, I see,” Yamaguchi deflated in disappointment. He had only started to enjoy Kuroo’s company. 

“Good riddance,” Tsukishima grumbled from the top bunk. His comment went mostly ignored by both Yamaguchi and Kuroo.

“Where will you be going next?” Yamaguchi asked in mild reluctance, not wanting to pry too much.

“Well, I gotta go meet some friends is all,” Kuroo hummed in a very calm distant sort of way.

“Friends?” Yamaguchi questioned.

“Aw don’t looks so dejected, Freckles,” Kuroo jokes causing Yamaguchi to wonder if he was acting desperate in any way. “I’ll make it a point to watch your first showcase on TV so don’t worry,” he carried on, ending with a small finger gun and another cheeky wink.

“You’re an idiot,” Tsukishima grumbled in an almost inaudible voice. Kuroo replied with a very cheeky chuckle that did nothing to satisfy Tsukki’s insult. 

“Love you too, Tsukki,” Kuroo replied, sending Tsukki a wink of his own.

Tsukishima made a very disapproving grunt before laying back down and turning his back to Kuroo. Kuroo found this reaction to be quite satisfactory. He sent Yamaguchi silent ‘oopsie’ sort of shrug. Yamaguchi replied with a look that read ‘please don’t antagonise him’ which only made Kuroo stifle a chuckle.

The evening passed calmly and with little to no disturbance. Yamaguchi was sad to have to say goodbye to Kuroo, but equally excited to make his way to his very first showcase. He felt a moment of panic well up in his stomach at the idea he might not make it to the town in time. They had about 6 days to make it to Camphrier Town before the showcase. He had checked five times over and every time found that it should not take them more than three days to make the trip by foot but Yamaguchi found himself to be the type who’s plans never go accordingly. As he layed in bed with Eevee sound asleep at his side he hoped for nothing but the best.

It was early next morning when Yamaguchi and Tsukishima stood at the edge of Lumiose City’s city limit bidding farewell to Kuroo.

“Well, it was great, guys, but this is where our paths split,” Kuroo sighed like a wise old man.

“Finally,” Tsukishima scoffed.

“No worries, Tsukki, I’m sure our paths will cross again soon,” Kuroo mock comforted as he slung an arm around Tsukishima’s shoulders. “And when we do I will be more than happy to mentor you in battling.”

“Hey, get off!” Tsukishima snapped as he failed to shake Kuroo. “I don’t need your help!”

With a cheeky grin, Kuroo whispered something into Tsukishima's ear before sending Yamaguchi a very curious knowing grin. As Kuroo did so Tsukishima's cheeks went a brilliant shade of red before violently tearing himself away from Kuroo. All the while Yamaguchi looked on in confusion. He wanted to ask what that had been all about but couldn’t articulate the question.

“And good luck with your showcase, Freckles,” Kuroo carried on as if the incident from moments ago hadn’t happened. “I’ll be sure to catch it on TV.”

“I’ll do my best,” Yamaguchi replied with a nervous smile.

Kuroo then leaned in close, stopping just beside Yamaguchi’s ear. “And watch out for Tsukki. Arceus knows how badly he needs you,” Kuroo half-joked half-insisted in a quiet whisper.

Yamaguchi knew his cheeks had gone pink at the comment as he stifled a breathy “W- What?”

“What was that?” Tsukishima cut in. 

“Oh, nothing…” Kuroo sang as he gave Eevee an affectionate pat on the head before stepping away from Yamaguchi. “I don’t want to keep you two any more,” he hummed, quick to change the subject.

“Something we can agree on,” Tsukishima mumbled, though he still eyed Kuroo with suspicion.

“We’ll see you soon, Kuroo,” Yamaguchi piped in, his demeanor a lot shy.

“You two take care of each other,” Kuroo said with a cheshire smile.

Tsukishima didn’t obliged the comment and simply turned on his heel and headed down the path into the woods.

“See you later, Kuroo,” Yamaguchi called before following after Tsukishima.

It wasn’t long before Kuroo was gone and the two were surrounded by thick woods. The air was much warmer than it had been. The sky was blue with fluffy clouds and filled Yamaguchi with the idea that winter was far behind them and spring was in full swing.

“I’d like to set up camp with enough time for me and Popplio to practice,” Yamaguchi hummed as he followed beside Tsukishima. In his arms he held Eevee who was mesmerized by the beautiful spring day.

“Should be fine,” Tsukishima curtly replied. He still seemed a bit on edge about Kuroo’s antics.

“While the two of us practice would you mind watching Eevee?” Yamaguchi asked, sending Tsukishima a hopeful look.

Tsukishima glanced at Yamaguchi before looking down to the Eevee in Yamaguchi’s arms. Eevee sent Tsukishima a very unsure but curious look. Eevee was still quite shy around anyone outside of Yamaguchi and Salazzle.

“I’m sure Salazzle will give you a hand,” Yamaguchi prompted hopefully.

Tsukishima looked to the sky as if in deep thought before looking back to Yamaguchi. “Yeah, fine,” He finally replied.

“Thanks, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi said with a bright smile.

“It’s no big deal,” Tsukishima mumbled, looking anywhere but Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi’s smile only grew.

It was late afternoon by the time Yamaguchi and Tsukishima set up camp for the day. They found a nice open patch in the forest not too far from a small meadow Yamaguchi would use to practice his routine with Popplio. The showcase was only days away and Yamaguchi still had a lot in their routine he needed to iron out.

Digging deep into his backpack, Yamaguchi felt around. He felt a Pokeball, a bag of Pokemon chow, his toothbrush, Eevee’s bottle, all of which were not what he wanted. With a muffled grunt he dug even deeper until he felt it. With a satisfied sigh he pulled a fabric bag from his backpack. It was a green satin bag closed at the top by a gold drawstring.  
Without wasting time, Yamaguchi opened the top of the pouch and pulled out a white bracelet. It was a Z-ring he had brought with him all the way from Alola. Carefully he slipped the bracelet onto this left wrist and fiddled with it until it was secure. Before coming to Alola, Yamaguchi had not really used his Z-ring. 

With the Z-ring secur on his wrist he turned his attention back to the pouch. With his right hand he carefully poured the remaining content into his free hand. Three diamond shaped objects fell from the pouch into his hand. There was a while stone, a normalium Z, pink stone, a fairium Z and a blue stone, waterium Z. With a happy hum, Yamaguchi selected the waterium Z before replacing the other two stone back into the pouch and placing the pouch back into his backpack. 

Clicking the waterium Z into his Z-ring, Yamaguchi stood up to face Tsukishima. “I promise to only be away for a few hours,” Yamaguchi announced as he looked himself over to make sure he had all he needed.

“I don’t get why you have to run off and practice alone,” Tsukishima pouted, doing his best to seem uninterested and just bothered.

“I’ve told you, it won’t be a surprise if you watch me practice,” Yamaguchi retorted with a pout.

Tsukishima, stubborn as always, refused to look at his pouting best friend. He mumbled something along the lines of ‘I don’t see why it has to be a surprise for me.’ Before choking out a muffled “Whatever.”

“Eevee already ate and is napping now. Just watch her and comfort her if she gets scared,” Yamaguchi carried on, glancing at a nearby tree where Eevee slept snuggled close to Salazzle. A moment of worry hung over him at the thought of leaving Eevee alone.

“She’ll be fine, Yamaguchi. Just go practice,” Tsukishima cut in before Yamaguchi's worry grew. “I swear the way you spoil that Eevee, she is going to grow up to be a brat.”

“She is just a baby,” Yamaguchi defended weakly, thought deep down he had moment of doubt. He often worried he coddled Eevee too much as well.

Noticing the look of worry in Yamaguchi’s brow Tsukishima released a small sigh. “Just go practice, Eevee will be fine. I promise,” he earnestly prompted.

“R-Right,” Yamaguchi stuttered with a shake of his head. “I’ll be back in just a few hours,” as Yamaguchi said this his eyes lingered on the sleeping Eevee.

“Go! Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima reiterated with a bit of frustration. “She will be fine.”

“Okay, okay,” Yamaguchi quickly replied before stumbled into the forest.

All the while Tsukishima watched his clumsy friend enter the forest and barely missed knocking into a low hanging branch. As Yamaguchi clumsily disappeared from view, Tsukishima released a small sigh. With the camp much quieter, Tsukishima turned his attention to his headphones and a book on Pokemon fossils. Enjoying the quiet, he made himself comfortable next to Salazzle and Eevee.

At some point Tsukishima had dozed off. How long he had dozed off he did not know. What he did know was that suddenly he was being very rudely awaken by a slap to the face by Salazzling whip like tail.

“What the-!” Tsukishima sputtered as his book fell from his chest to the floor. “Salazzle!” he snapped glaring at the lizard.

Tsukishima was surprised to find Salazzle looking quite frantic. It only took Tsukishima a moment to figure out why. Eevee was gone. Tsukishima felt his heart stop.

“Where is she?” Tsukishima asked as his whole body went cold. Salazzle looked to him in equal look of terror and worry. A thousand things ran through Tsukishima’s head, all of them filling him with emotions he often tried to hide. “We have to find her now!” Tsukishima demanded. Salazzle nodded in agreement.

Without missing a beat, Tsukishima called out his other two Pokemon. Snivy and Bagon both looked around the camp in mild confusion upon being called on so suddenly. They turned and straighten up quickly as the look of urgency on their master’s face.

“Eevee is gone and we have to find her before Yamaguchi get’s back,” Tsukishima said in a surprisingly calm voice. It took every last ounce of his effort not to panic and to keep his cool. It set his heart cold to think of what Yamaguchi would do if he came back to find Eevee gone. A cold feeling of disappointment washed over Tsukishima as this thought passed.

Upon seeing their trainers dire expression, all three of Tsukishima’s pokemon nodded in understanding. Tsukishima was doing a stellar job at sounding calm but they could tell that there master was anything but that at the moment. 

“She couldn’t have gone far. If we split up we should be able to find her!” Tsukishima spoke in a mostly steady voice with only his hands shaking. “Salazzle you come with me, Bagon, Snivy, give a signal if you find her.”

The three Pokemon did not need to be told any more. With nods of confirmation, Pokemon and master all entered the woods in search of the missing Eevee. All the while, Tsukishima prayed that Yamaguchi did not come back early.

With his heart racing and his body heated with adrenaline, Tsukishima raced through the woods. By his side, Salazzle hunted around just as feverishly. Every few moments a wave of self hatred and disappointment washed over Tsukishima. He knew how important Eevee was to Yamaguchi. How could he have let this happen? How could he face Yamaguchi if Eevee was not found.

Anytime Tsukishima’s self doubt began to blind him, Salazzle did well to regain his attention to the matter at hand. They could not allow themselves to be distracted in this moment. They had to stay focused for Eevee and for Yamaguchi.

The two had only been searching for a good five minutes when the heard it. A blood curdling scream.

“EEEEEVEEEEEE!”

“That was Eevee!” Tsukishima gasped as he turned in the direction of the cry. Without another word, trainer and pokemon hauld-ass in that direction.

Tsukishima and Salazzle exploded through the forest into a clearing that held a crystal clear pond. Like a small island, in the middle of a pond sat a large jagged rock and stuck to that rock was a very terrified Eevee. Tsukishima squinted as he realized that the substance holding Eevee wasn’t string shot, as he had suspected, but something else. It looked frothy and fluffy and almost made of bubbles.

Eevee gave a weak cry as she looked to Tsukishima pleading for him to save her. Tsukishima didn’t have much time to act on the small cried of the Eevee for in that moment something came down fast from the trees, narrowly missing Tsukishima and Salazzle. Jumping back Tsukishima looked up to see that the attacker was a Frogadier.

“What the fuck?” Tsukishima grumbled as he sized up the Pokemon.

The Frogadier almost smiled at Tsukishima and Salazzle as he too sized them up. There was a glint in his eye that almost challenged them to make a move. Tsukishima studied the frog Pokemon to find that it had a large scar over it’s left eye. The cut looked old and gave a very rugged look to the Frogadier.

Frogadier gave a low challenging growl as it once again beckoned Salazzle to make a move. Tsukishima nodded hoping Salazzle would distract the oversized frog while he freed Eevee. Salazzle gave a nod before hissing at Frogadier. Tsukishima, in the meantime, scooted around towards the pond. Unfortunately for him, Frogadier had other plans.

The frog sent a strong and fast stream of water right for Tsukishima that narrowly missed him.

“Looks like we don’t have any other choice,” Tsukishima sighed in annoyance. He had wanted to avoid a battle. Salazzle had the type disadvantage. “Salazzle, Poison Gas!” Tsukishima commanded.

Salazzle moved quickly sending a puff of gas right for Frogadier. The attack directly his but Frogadier didn’t seemed fased. Moving quickly Frogadier landed a perfectly executed quick attack on Salazzle. Eevee cried out in worry as she watched her favorite babysitter take a direct hit.

“Salazzle, Double slap!” Tsukishima shouted, all the while scooting his way towards the lake to get to Eevee.

Salazzle moved fast to land direct hits on Frogadier. It was almost as if Frogadier wasn’t trying to dodge. Like he wanted to take the hits head on. Frogadier gave a satisfied grunt before landing a critical pound on Salazzle head. 

Tsukishima gave a grun of frustration before commanding “Poison Gas again!”

Salazzle, still quite close to Frogadier, spat a puff of gas right into the frogs face. Frogadier staggered back as he coughed painfully.

“Double slap again, Salazzle!” Tsukishima shouted.

As Salazzle landed her first hit Frogadier retaliated with a Water Pulse that caused Salazzle to fall to the floor. Eevee cried out in utter worry as she watched Salazzle struggle to get up. 

Tsukishima cured under his breath. They couldn’t give up yet. “Dragon Rage, now!” Tsukishima commanded. “Do it for Eevee!” He added in hope it would encourage Salazzle to pull through.

With a maternal glint in her eye Salazzle pulled herself up. Frogadier gave an almost satisfied grumble, happy to see that the battle wasn’t over yet. Salazzle charged Frogadier only for Frogadier to charge in return. With a blue fire charging in Salazzle throat and a large ball of rushing water gathering in Frogadier hands the two Pokemon rushed toward one another. As the two attacks hit head on, both Pokemon flew back and landed hard on the floor. Once again Eevee cried for Salazzle to get up.

Tsukishima watched in silence as neither Pokemon moved. A beat passed before one of Frogadier’s fingers gave a twitch. In what was probably the closest thing to panic Tsukishima had ever felt he pulled an empty Ultra Ball from his pocket and tossed it at Frogadier.

The ball swallowed up the frog Pokemon. Its light flashed three times before locking with a click. With wide eyes Tsukishima stared at the ball unsure if that all had just happened. It was a small whimpering cry from Eevee that brought Tsukishima back. With a shake of his head, Tsukishima rushed into the pond to free Eevee.

The water reaching just knees, Tsukishima waded to where Eevee was stuck to the rock. The bubbly substance holding Eevee was tangled in her fluffy fur. It took Tsukishima several minutes to free the frightened Eevee and the moment she was free she rushed down Tsukishima's shirt and stayed there as a quivering mess.

Tsukishima held her close as he made his way out of the pond. He felt guilty for allowing any of this to happen. Once out of the pond, Tsukishima collected his newly caught Pokemon before addressing Salazzle. The large lizard was only just coming to when Tsukishima crouched down beside her. 

“Great work,” Tsukishima hummed as he stroked her head.

Salazzle gave a tried hiss of satisfaction. Upon hearing this, Eevee popped her head out of Tsukishima’s shirt. She gave a small trill before jumping out and snuggling close to her saviour. Salazzle gave another happy hiss as she and Eevee nuzzled noses. Tsukishima allowed the two the moment of comfort before recalling Salazzle to her ball.

Eevee gave a small sad cry as her favorite babysitter disappeared into the pokeball. Tsukishima didn’t waste time to scoop Eevee up. Eevee allowed him to do so, but turned to look Tsukishima in the eyes, sending him a very appealing gaze before her eyes wandered to Tsukishima's shirt collar.

“No,” Tsukishima grumbled.

“Veee!” Eevee pleaded in the most pathetic squeak Tsukishima had ever heard.

Tsukishima made the mistake of looking into Eevee’s watery eyes. His resolve melted away almost immediately. “Fine,” he sighed as he used one finger to lift his shirt collar open.

With a happy trill, Eevee burrowed down Tsukishima’s shirt. Trilling once more, she settled close to Tsukishima’s chest. 

“Spoiled brat,” Tsukishima mumbled as he gently held Eevee close. He then made his way back to the campsite.

By the time Tsukishima arrive back, Snivy and Baygon had returned. Both were pleased to see Eevee had been found and that their master wasn’t a panicked mess. Tsukishima removed his wet clothes before settling back into the camp with his team. He decided to leave Frogadier in his ball for the time being.

After giving Salazzle a potion to help pep her up, he made himself comfortable under a large tree to feed Eevee her mid-day snack. Salazzle sat protectively close as Eevee fed. As he cradled the snoozing Eevee he refused to admit how utterly adorable Eevee really was. 

Several hours passed before Yamaguchi arrived back to the camp. The sun was close to setting and miraculously Tsukishima had been able to brush Eevee’s fur clean of Frogadier’s sticky gunk. Eevee had been adamant about sleeping down Tsukishima’s shirt which Yamaguchi found to be adorable. 

“Looks like she had warmed up to you while I was gone,” Yamaguchi joked as he sat close to Tsukishima.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…” Tsukishima replied as he made to fish Eevee from his shirt.

“She seems so attached to you now,” Yamaguchi pointed as he saw Eevee resist leaving Tsukishima’s shirt. Part of him wondered if it was really as comfortable and inviting as Eevee made it look. Betraying him, his cheeks went pink at the thought.

“You spoil her too much,” Tsukishima hummed as he successfully fished Eevee out. With Eevee still half asleep, he handed her off to Yamaguchi.

“I Do not,” Yamaguchi replied with a pout as he possessively scooped Eevee up. 

Upon being reunited with her mommy, Eevee gave the happiest of trills either of them had ever heard. She took not time into burrowing down Yamaguchi’s shirt and falling back to sleep.

“Spoiled,” Tsukishima taunted with a smirk.

“She’s just a baby,” Yamaguchi retorted in defence.

Tsukishima sent him an unconvinced look that causing Yamaguchi to playfully bump shoulders with him.

“You three all seem so exhausted,” Yamaguchi pointed out as he looked from Salazzle to Tsukishima. “Did I miss something?”

Tsukishima looked long and hard at Yamaguchi. “Nope, didn’t miss a thing,” Tsukishima replied, looking away from Yamaguchi and leaning back on the tree. 

Yamaguchi studied Tsukishima. He could tell that something must have gone down for everyone seemed worn out. He considered heckling his friends before something odd caught his eyes. Yamaguchi had not noticed that Tsukishima was currently wearing a new pair of clothes. The clothes he had worn for earlier in the day were soaking wet and currently hung from a few long tree branches.

“Tsukki, why are your clothes all wet?” Yamauchi asked in uncertainty.

Tsukishima did not reply. He pretended to have fallen asleep. Yamaguchi knew well that Tsukishima was not sleeping. He had seen his friend asleep on several occasions and knew when Tsukishima was faking. Yamaguchi pouted for only a moment before shrugging it off. Eevee seemed happy and beside the wet clothes the camp seemed in place. 

Yamaguchi shook his confusion as he allowed himself to snuggle up with Eevee. He and Popplio had practiced hard. Their routine was almost down. With a few more days of practice he and Popplio would be more than ready. With his heart at ease and mind clam, Yamaguchi leaned against Tsukishima’s shoulder and fell into a comfortable snooze, completely unaware of what had gone down in his absence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what did you all think of the Tsukki centric chapter? It was oodles of fun to write! You can expect more in the future as well. I wonder if Yamaguchi will ever figure out what went down while he was away? Will they ever reunite with Kuroo again? How is Yamaguchi’s routine really coming along? That and more will be answered in the chapters to come.
> 
> I am unsure if next weekend we will be getting a chapter. I will be traveling and I am unsure if my beta reader will be free with the holidays and all. You can definitely expect a chapter next next week for sure. Just wanted to give you all a heads up on that!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has left me kudos, follows, bookmarks, reviews and comments. Feedback from you all is always a wonderful gift. I really like to know what you think of the chapters and fic as a whole so drop me a thought if you can. 
> 
> Have a happy holiday everyone! See you next chapter!


	21. An Injured Stranger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Happy New Year! I hope you are met with all the luck and fortune this year. To celebrate the new year here is chapter 21. Let’s see what is in store for Yamaguchi and Tsukishima this time!
> 
> My norml beta reader is back! As always they did such an awesome job!!!! They go by the name of Killer_Squids and can be found on AO3 here (https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killer_Squids). They can also be found on tumblr under the name land-banana. They have done a wonderful job with betaing for me so if you have time please give there page a look.
> 
> Without further ado, Chapter 21!

Yamaguchi had no clue where Frogadier had come from. Tsukki hadn’t even told him that he had caught a new Pokemon. When Yamaguchi went to feed the Pokemon the evening he’d asked Tsukki to watch Eevee, he was surprised to find one more mouth to feed. The first thing Yamaguchi noticed about Frogadier was that Eevee was terrified of him. 

Eevee was a very timid soul, but her fear of Frogadier was on a level that baffled Yamaguchi. Upon sight of Frogadier, the small shiny Pokemon would high tail it down Yamaguchi’s shirt, scratching up his chest in her horrified frenzy. Once down his shirt, it was next to impossible to get her out without ripping his clothes off. All the while, Frogadier didn’t pay any mind to Eevee whatsoever.

The next thing Yamaguchi noticed was how aggressive Salazzle was towards her new teammate. The black lizard wasted no time in hissing at Frogadier any time both of them were out of their Pokeballs. It got so bad at dinner that both Pokemon had to be fed on opposite sides of the camp. Salazzle was normally so easygoing towards other Pokemon, so it concerned him to see her react so aggressively. All the while, Tsukishima insisted that Yamaguchi shouldn’t worry about it, and that he would take care of the two in due time.

Frogadier was extremely standoffish towards everyone in the small camp. He paid very little mind to all other Pokemon and if anyone other than Tsukishima so much as approached him, he would shoot them with his sticky bubbly foam. Yamaguchi was far toe startled by Frogadier’s aggressive ways to feed the Pokemon himself, insisting that Tsukishima pass off the food to the grumpy frog. 

Many times, Yamaguchi had asked Tsukishima where and when he’d caught Frogadier, but Tsukishima always brushed off the question or gave vague answers.

“Have you had him this whole time, or did you catch him while I was training?” Yamaguchi would ask as he side eyed the crabby frog.

“Sorry, what was that? I couldn’t hear you over my music,” Tsukishima would mumble in reply, not bothering to look up from his book.

By the next day, Yamaguchi had given up on asking Tsukki where Frogadier had come from. Yamaguchi knew Tsukki better than anyone, and Tsukki would tell him when he was ready. 

As Yamaguchi cleaned up their lunch, he tentatively watched as Popplio did her best to befriend Frogadier. As she had done many time before, she approached the frog, blowing a few playful bubbles. As always, Frogadier would pop the bubbles, shoot Popplio with a bit of foam and then hop up into a tree to get away.

Yamaguchi released a sigh as he gave his head a small shake. Popplio was relentless and would surely win over Frogadier eventually. Sometimes, he envied Popplio’s ability to never give up.

Before long, the camp was packed up from lunch, and Yamaguchi was ready to practice his routine for the day. “Popplio and I are going to head into the woods to practice some more, do you mind watching Eevee for me?” Yamaguchi asked as he passed off a drowsy Eevee to Tsukishima.

Tsukishima, who had been reading from his tablet, nodded slowly as he took the baby Pokemon without so much as looking up from his article. “How long will you be out?” Tsukishima asked as Eevee settled into his lap.

“I’ll be back in enough time to make us dinner,” Yamaguchi vaguely replied.

“If you need the time to practice, I can cook tonight,” Tsukishima offered, glancing from his article to Yamaguchi.

“No, it’s fine. I have a new recipe I want to try tonight,” Yamaguchi insisted, not wanting to pawn off all his responsibilities on Tsukki.

Tsukishima looked at Yamaguchi for a long moment, as if to say it wouldn’t be a problem, but said nothing. Yamaguchi gave a small smile in reply before turning on his heels to find Popplio. The small seal was still at the base of the tree Frogadier had fled into looking up into the branches.

“Come on Popplio, time for practice,” Yamaguchi prompted as he headed into the woods away from the camp.

With a dissatisfied bark, Popplio looked at the tree one last time before following after Yamaguchi.

“Frogadier might come around to you faster if you gave him just a little space,” Yamaguchi hummed as he ducked through the woods, seeking out a spot to practice.

Popplio gave a small bark of disagreement from Yamaguchi's heels. 

“If you say so,” Yamaguchi shrugged as they both came across a clearing with just enough space for them to practice their routine. “This should do,” Yamaguchi nodded as he looked over the small clearing. 

Popplio barked in agreeance as she jumped to center.

“Let’s start from the top, shall we,” Yamaguchi hummed as he fiddled with his Z-ring. The Waterium Z shone brightly under the rays of light that filtered through the treetops.

Popplio gave another small bark as she positioned herself where she needed to be.

It wasn’t long before the two sprung into action. Both trainer and Pokemon spun and twirled through fountains of water to the tune of an island song Yamaguchi had listened to since he was a small child. For his first ever showcase, Yamaguchi had decided to bring a little bit of Alola to Kalos. Since it was his first performance he wanted to start out with something he knew. Most might consider going with something you know not challenging oneself, but the act of doing a showcase in the first place was enough of a challenge for Yamaguchi. He just hoped his routine would be enough to win him his first Key.

Yamaguchi found that time passed quickly when practicing. The day before, he hadn’t meant to stay out as late as he had. He and Popplio had gotten so caught up that they hadn’t realized it was close to evening until the sun began to set. Today, time also passed in the same manner, but Yamaguchi did well to watch the sun so as to not be so late.

A few hours into their practice, Yamaguchi felt a very familiar feeling. He stopped abruptly, mid-twirl, to look high into the trees. It had to have been his imagination. His sudden stop had caused Popplio to run right into him, soaking them both in her aqua jet. 

“Ack!” Yamaguchi grunted as he fell to the ground in a wet heap. 

Popplio barked apologetically from atop him.

“No, it’s my fault for stopping mid-dance,” Yamaguchi said as he gave Popplio’s head a small scratch. He looked back up to the tree. “I thought I saw something…”

Popplio barked in confusion as she too looked up into the branches. 

Nothing was there. Perhaps the Yamask incident was still haunting him without him realizing.

“It’s nothing,” Yamaguchi insisted as he gave Popplio’s head a small pat. “Let get back to practicing.”

With a happy bark from Popplio, the two started once again from the beginning.

Damp, sweaty and tired, it was late, almost evening when Yamaguchi and Popplio stopped for the day. Both trainer and Pokemon had been able to perform the routine several time with little trouble. “All we need to do is synchronize that Z move and we will be all set,” Yamaguchi said with a large satisfied stretch. 

Popplio barked in joyful agreement. 

“Now how about we-” Yamaguchi began.

“KYAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

A loud shriek cut through the forest catching both Popplio and Yamaguchi off guard. Several Pidgey and Fletching took flight at the sound. Unconsciously, Yamaguchi scooped up Popplio and held her tight. 

“What was that?” Yamaguchi barely got out as he turned to face where the yell had come from. Still mildly shocked, he nearly jumped out of his pants as the shriek sounded again.

“Ahhhh! Help!”

Yamaguchi looked to Popplio in shock. “That isn’t a Pokemon…”

“Someone, please!”

With shaky knees, Yamaguchi jumped into action. He made for the direction of the distress call. His mind raced as he tripped through the woods. Part of him wanted to turn back and get Tsukki, as Yamaguchi was in no condition to fight. But at the same time, the person sounded quite distressed.

Breaking through the woods, Yamaguchi found himself on the main trail toward the next town. He looked up and down the trail for the source of the scream and found that only a few meters away sat someone beside the bath. He looked a moment more to find that the person was quite alone. Without another moment's hesitation he approached the trainer.

Yamaguchi was surprised to find that the distressed stranger was a girl. She had short dark hair and large eyelashes that framed watery brown eyes. She wore a light blue tank top and tan shorts. Upon her back was a large tan backpack. She gave a small whimper as she saw Yamaguchi approaching. She looked quite spooked.

“Oh, thank Arceus, someone was nearby,” the girl almost cried.

“A-Are you okay?” Yamaguchi awkwardly asked as he looked over the stranger.

“It’s my ankle,” the girl explained as she looked to her right foot.

Yamaguchi followed her gaze to find the ankle to be quite swollen. His brow furrowed in concern as he kneeled down beside her.

“Something came out from behind me and pushed me down,” the girl whimpered. “I must have twisted it during the fall.”

“Yeah. It looks pretty bad,” Yamaguchi hummed as he examined the swelling. “The nearest Pokemon center is quite a ways off, but my friend and I have set up camp around here, and we have a first aid kit there.”

“Would that be okay?” The girl tentatively asked.

“Not a problem,” Yamaguchi insisted. He couldn't just leave the girl abandoned on the side of the road. “Here, let me help you up,” He carried on as he motioned for the girl to use him as a crutch.

“Oh, thank you so much,” The girl blubbered as she slung an arm around Yamaguchi’s shoulder. “You are so kind.”

Yamaguchi silently brushed off the compliment. He was just doing what anyone would have done. 

On three, the two hoisted up into a standing position. What Yamaguchi didn't expect was for the girl to be just as tall as he was, but he did his best to hid his shock. He had never met a girl this tall before.

“You steady?” Yamaguchi asked before starting to walk.

“Yeah, I think so,” the girl replied as she tested her balance. “Thanks a lot… um.”

“Yamaguchi,” Yamaguchi introduced as they made their way towards the camp. “Yamaguchi Tadashi.”

“Thank you, Yamaguchi,” The girl kindly hummed. “I’m Amanai Kanoka. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too, Kanoka,” Yamaguchi awkwardly replied.

The walk back to the campsite was a bit of a struggle. Kanoka was much taller than Yamaguchi had anticipated, if he were to guess he’d say she was probably just a bit taller than he was. That, mixed with him trying to hide his lack of directional skills almost had the two trainers walking in circles. Fortunately for Yamaguchi, Popplio eventually took the lead guiding them back to their campsite.

Tsukishima was not in the least bit happy to find that Yamaguchi had come back with an injured girl. He said nothing, but he glared across the campsite as they emerged from the woods, and Yamaguchi knew Tsukki well enough to see that he was not in the least but pleased.

“Hello,” Kanoka said as she caught sight of Tsukishima. She didn’t seem to take notice of Tsukishima’s deep scowl. “My name is Kanoka Amanai… Sorry to intrude.”

Tsukishima looked to Yamaguchi as if he were asking what the heck he was thinking.

“She sprained her ankle,” Yamaguchi explained as he silently pleaded for Tsukki to at least try to be polite. “That’s Tsukishima, the travel partner I told you about,” Yamaguchi quietly added.

Tsukishima released a small huff as he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Yamaguchi was often far too kind for his own good.

Kanoka seemed to be picking up on the mild tension coming from the blond trainer. “If there is a problem-”

“No, no! There’s no problem,” Yamaguchi quickly insisted. “Here, come and sit down by the fire,” he motioned as he helped her over to the small fire in the middle of the clearing.

With a shuffle here, a grunt there, and extra support from Salazzle, Kanoka was able to make herself comfortable beside the fire. Once the girl was settled beside the fire, Salazzle sitting beside her for extra support, Yamaguchi made for the first aid kit. He could feel Tsukki’s eyes on him the whole time. He knew better than anyone that Tsukki strongly disliked surprise visitors, but he chose to ignore his best friend for now.

With the first-aid kit in hand, Yamaguchi made his way back to Kanoka. Crouching down, he slowly eased her shoe from her foot. Kanoka only whimpered once as her foot popped from the shoe. Yamaguchi gently examined the injured foot, releasing a slow, thoughtful hum.

“I’m no doctor, but it doesn’t look as bad as I thought it was,” Yamaguchi said, looking from the foot to its owner.

“Well, that's good to hear,” Kanoka laughed, there was an edge of nerve to her as she did so. “How long do you think it will be before I can walk?”

By this time Tsukishima had moved over to the two. He leaned over Yamaguchi to get a look at the injured foot for himself. “It barely looks injured,” He replied before Yamaguchi could.

“Tsukki!” Yamaguchi scolded as he frowned up at his best friend. 

Tsukishima did not look sorry for his unnecessary comment. 

“If we wrap it up tightly, maybe it will be okay to walk on by tomorrow,” Yamaguchi said, turning his attention back to Kanoka. “We can help you to the closest Pokemon center tomorrow. We are heading that direction anyways.”

“Oh no, you two don’t have to do that,” Kanoka gasped, though she looked as if she wanted to say yes to the offer.

“It wouldn’t be a problem at all,” Yamaguchi insisted. “Right, Tsukki?”

“Whatever…” Tsukishima pouted in reply, turning his attention away from the two.

“Well, if it’s not too much of a bother, thank you,” Kanoka smiled shyly as she accepted the offer.

Yamaguchi, with eventual help from Tsukki, did his best to patch Kanoka up. It wasn’t long before her foot was bandaged and was being iced, compliments of a well-executed ice beam from Kanoka’s blue Gastrodon. While patching her up, the tension in the campsite subsided significantly. Kanoka was a very kind and friendly girl. She was easy to talk with and reminded Yamaguchi of Yachi if she were a less nervous person.

“So, you’re a showcase performer?” Kanoka asked.

“Yeah, I plan to do my first performance in a few days,” Yamaguchi replied with a nervous smile.

“Wow, that's so soon!” Kanoka gasped. “You must be so nervous. I know I would be, if I were you.”

“Yeah, I’m somehow keeping it together,” Yamaguchi sheepishly admitted. It was easy for him to talk about his upcoming showcase while sitting in the woods. He had a sinking feeling he wouldn't be so calm once arriving to the showcase itself.

“What about you, Tsukishima? Are you also in to showcases?” Kanoka asked, leaning over to look at Tsukishima, who was sitting on the other side of Yamaguchi.

“Pokemon league,” Tsukishima bluntly replied. He was now talking with Kanoka, but still held a hint of bitterness to himself in the moment.

“Oh, you’re in the league, too?” Kanoka gasped, leaning over more. “How many badges do you have? I only have two.”

“Same here,” Tsukishima replied with a frown.

“Where are you guys headed for your 3rd badge?” Kanoka asked with a shine in her eyes.

Tsukishima gave a silent shrug, not looking at either Kanoka or Yamaguchi.

“Cyllage City Gym,” Yamaguchi replied in Tsukki’s stead. 

“No way! That is where I’m going, too,” Kanoka gasped. “What a small world.”

“Small world indeed,” Tsukishima mumbled.

“Well in that case, would it be a problem if I tagged along with you two?” Kanoka asked as she twittled her fingers in her lap. She only glanced at Tsukishima before settling her eyes on Yamaguchi.

“Well-” Yamaguchi started before being rudely cut off.

“We aren’t going straight to Cyllage City from here,” Tsukishima cut in very abruptly.

“Y-You’re not?” Kanoka asked, looking to Tsukishima. Tsukishima sent her an uninviting stare before Kanoka sent her gaze on Yamaguchi for explanation.

“Well, we are going to stop in at Camphrier Town for a few days for a showcase I am going to participate in,” Yamaguchi explained, shooting Kanoka a very sorry look.

“Wow, really? And it’s your first one, right?” Kanoka hummed in a mix of excitement and nerves. “I’d love to come and cheer you on,” She insisted, leaning in to Yamaguchi’s bubble just a bit. “As a thank you for helping me!”

“Well, if you want to, you’re more than welcome to come along, I guess,” Yamaguchi shrugged as he ignored Tsukishima’s fiery glare. 

“I promise I won't get in your way,” Kanoka smiled.

Tsukishima shot up from where he stood so quickly that both Kanoka and Yamaguchi toppled over. “A word, Yamaguchi… In private” Tsukishima hissed, not even looking down at his best friend.

“O-Okay, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi slowly replied as he stood. He knew well what Tsukki was going to say. He gave Kanoka a ‘don’t worry’ look before following after his best friend.

Once they were a distance from the campfire Tsukishima released a very exasperated sigh as he turned on Yamaguchi. He looked to his friend in silent frustration, waiting for an explanation.

“Tsukki, we can’t just tell her no,” Yamaguchi defended as quietly as he could. “It would be rude, and we are going in the same direction so it would also be awkward.”

“So, we are just going to let anyone join that is heading in the same direction as we are?” Tsukishima half hissed, half snapped.

“You’re being dramatic, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi retorted in a hiss of his own. “It’s obvious that Kanoka is nothing like Hinata or Kuroo, so I don’t know why you’re so upset. You’re not even giving her a chance.”

Tsukishima puffed up his chest as if he wanted to say something back but all he did was glare at Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi knew Tsukishima well, and he knew it wasn’t Kanoka that was upsetting him so much. She was just an innocent bystander.

“I get it,” Yamaguchi carried on as he rested a hand upon Tsukishima’s arm. “Kuroo just left us a day ago, and three is a crowd, but I highly doubt Kanoka will be following us for too long. Probably just until we get to Cyllage City.”

Tsukishima breathed in deeply through his nose before releasing it all through his mouth. As he did so much of his tension went with it. “Fine. But if she gets annoying she’s out, got it!”

“Sounds like a deal,” Yamaguchi sighed. He sometimes forgot how difficult his best friend could be.

“Is everything okay?” Kanoka called from beside the fireplace.

“Yeah, everything is fine,” Yamaguchi called back, returning to the campsite. All the while, Tsukishima’s golden eyes followed after him.

“Did I upset him?” Kanoka tentatively asked as Yamaguchi took his seat.

“What? Tsukki? Upset? No!” Yamaguchi brushed off probably a bit too earnestly. “He’s just shy is all,” he lied, his voice cracking a bit.

“Oh, I didn’t take him for the shy type” Kanoka hummed as she looked to where Tsukki now stood picking up a sleeping Eevee from a sleeping Salazzle.

“He gets a little standoffish when meeting new people, but once you get to know him, Tsukki really is the best person ever,” Yamaguchi insisted, this time in pure honesty.

“I can hear you talking about me!” Tsukishima snapped as he cradled Eevee in his arms.

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi giggled.

“Well, you two seem like really good friends,” Kanoka chortled. 

“If you two are done talking about me, I’m starting to get hungry,” Tsukishima cut in as both Yamaguchi and Kanoka stifled a laugh. “And so are our Pokemon,” he added, passing off Eevee to Yamaguchi.

“Right, I’ll feed everyone their dinners and then I’ll start on ours,” Yamachi replied as he took Eevee into his arms. With a sleepy trill, Eevee snuggled close to Yamaguchi, happy to have him back by her side again.

As Yamaguchi fed Eevee from the bottle, Kanoka gushed over how cute the off-colored Eevee was. Yamaguchi was proud of his Eevee, and would’ve let Kanoka try feeding her if Eevee wasn’t so shy. It didn’t take long for Eevee to finish her meal and after passing her back off to Tsukki, he made his way to feed the rest of their crew.

“Your Pokemon are welcome to join in, if you want,” Yamaguchi said as he rummaged through his bag for a can of his fresh homemade Pokemon food. “I make the food myself.”

“Wow, you make your own Pokemon food?” Kanoka gasped. “I’m sure they would love to try it!”

“Well, just give me a minute to-” Yamaguchi started but cut off as he dug deeper into the bag. “That’s funny… I thought the can of food was in my backpack.” Yamaguchi hummed as he emerge from his bag. “Do you have it in yours, Tsukki?”

“Not that I’m aware of,” Tsukishima shrugged as he allowed Eevee to tussle gently with his hand. “Take a look if you want.”

Yamaguchi didn’t waste time digging through Tsukki’s pack. He checked every nook and cranny, but no can of Pokemon food could be found. 

“That’s so odd. I swear I packed it last night after making it,” Yamaguchi hummed in mind frustration. “Do you think I left it at the Pokemon center?”

“Maybe?” Tsukishima shrugged. 

“I guess I must have,” Yamaguchi deflated.

“It’s no big deal, Yamaguchi. One night of berries and table scraps won’t kill them,” Tsukishima sighed in his best attempt to comfort Yamaguchi. It was a little rough around the edges but Yamaguchi appreciated the effort.

“Sorry, Kanoka, but it looks like I forgot the homemade food at the last Pokemon center we were at,” Yamaguchi sighed.

“Oh well, I have extra of my own. I don’t mind sharing it,” Kanoka kindly offered. “Since you’re allowing me to travel with you and all.”

“I’ll pay you back at the next Pokemon center,” Yamaguchi agreed, despite how bad he felt.

“No need to,” Kanoka insisted. “Tonight’s meal is my treat.”

“Well, thank you then,” Yamaguchi replied with a worried smile. It had been ages since any of his Pokemon had eaten store-bought food, so he just hoped they’d eat it. He just couldn't help but wonder where his food had gone, as he distinctly remembered packing it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my! I wonder what happened to the can of missing Pokemon food? Will we ever find out? What about Kanoka? I wonder what she is going to bring to the mix. Yama’s showcase practice is well on it’s way. Just a few more days and we’ll get to see how ready he really is! We can find out all this and with the next chapters.
> 
> So next weekend I am unsure if I will be getting a chapter out. I’m still traveling so we will have to see what sort of time I have. After next weekend things should be back to normal for the most part and chapters should come out regularly.
> 
> Thank you all so much for your kind kudos, bookmarks, follows and comments/reviews. Feedback is always a great way to fuel my writing tank. I would love to hear from you guys. Your thoughts and such so please drop a comment or review if you have time.
> 
> Well that is all for now! See you next Chapter.


	22. The Intruder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Here is Chapter 22 ready for you to read. I hope you are ready for some fun drama. I was surprised to see so many comments about Kanoka. I wonder if she really is someone to be wear of or if she is just a friendly trainer along for the ride.
> 
> My current beta is doing such an awesome job!!!! They go by the name of Killer_Squids and can be found on AO3 here (https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killer_Squids). They can also be found on tumblr under the name land-banana. They have done a wonderful job with betaing for me so if you have time please give there page a look.
> 
> All right! Let’s read chapter 22!!!

“Thank you both so much for letting me camp with you two last night!” Kanoka gushed as the three trainers woke the next morning.

“Well, we couldn’t just leave you there,” Yamaguchi brushed off. “And besides, if we hadn’t helped you out then our Pokemon would have been without food,” he added as he passed Kanoka a breakfast pastry he’d made a few days before.

“Last night’s dinner and now this, your cooking is just amazing, Yamaguchi!” Kanoka gasped after she’d taken a large bite out of the pastry. 

Yamaguchi’s cheeks dusted pink from the compliment at he piped out a shy “Thanks.”

“Helping you out with your Pokemon is the least I can do after how kind you’ve both been to me,” Kanoka said, smiling at both Yamaguchi and Tsukishima.

“It’s no big deal,” Tsukishima cooly sighed, his aggressive edge gone and replaced with aloofness.

Yamaguchi grinned broadly at his best friend, which only caused Tsukishima to become more aloof, and Kanoka giggled at the interaction.

“My foot is also feeling much better now, too,” Kanoka sang as she gently flexed the ankle of his injured foot. “It’s not even swollen anymore.”

“That's good news,” Yamaguchi replied, walking over to where Kanoka sat. “Are you able to stand?”

Being so tall, it took both Yamaguchi’s and Tsukishima’s help to get Kanoka onto her feet. The tall girl tested the foot carefully once she was standing. “It’s still a little tender, but I think I should be fine until we get to the next Pokemon center,” Kanoka hummed.

“We can wrap it once more before heading out,” Yamaguchi suggested as he examined the injured food from where he stood. “That should help keep it from getting too aggravated when we travel.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Kanoka agreed and sat back down.

“I hope we don’t fall behind too much,” Tsukishima sighed from the other side of the campsite. “Yamaguchi does have a deadline. Only a few more days until his showcase.”

“Tsukki,” Yamaguchi groaned, knowing very well his best friend was just trying to stir up trouble.

“Oh my gosh!” Kanoka gasped at the news. “I hope I don’t cause you to miss the showcase!”

“Don’t listen to him,” Yamaguchi chuckled. “He’s just being difficult.”

“Shut up, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima grumbled.

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi replied, none too sorry.

Both looked at each other from across the camp site. Tsukishima sent Yamaguchi a sassy cocked eyebrow while Yamaguchi returned with a dopey grin. With an exaggerated roll of his eyes and a failed attempt to hide a smile of his own, Tsukishima returned to packing his bag. Another chuckled left Yamaguchi’s throat at he watched Tsukishima pack. His best friend really was something else.

“We’ll head out once everything is packed,” Yamaguchi said, turning to Kanoka.

“Sounds good to me!” she smiled.

It wasn’t long before the group of three were on the road. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi took turns helping Kanoka walk or carrying Eevee down their shirts. Yamaguchi was still impressed at how quickly Eevee and Tsukki had bonded, but was grateful since it was a lot easier doing things around the camp now that Eevee seemed at peace with Tsukki. It almost felt like Yamaguchi was Eevee’s mother and Tsukki her father. Any time this crossed Yamaguchi’s mind his cheeks would go bright red and catch the attention of everyone around him.

At the moment, Tsukishima lead the group, walking a few paces ahead of Yamaguchi and Kanoka. With Kanoka balancing herself on Yamaguchi’s shoulder, Yamaguchi couldn’t help but look ahead at his best friend. Currently, Tsukishima held Eevee in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder and her face nuzzling into Tsukki’s neck. Eevee looked so warm and comfortable with her little nose buried deep into the crevice of Tsukki’s neck, just behind his ear.

For a quick moment, Yamaguchi wondered what it felt like to cuddle so close to Tsukki like that. His eyes zeroed in on the crook of Tsukki’s neck as the thought passed. An odd fluttery feeling spread from his chest to every tip of his body, and his eyes looked on as if in a trance. Tsukki smelled good, and his skin looked so soft and inviting. Eevee looked safe in his strong arms. A moment of want rushed through Yamaguchi’s body.

“Hey, Yamaguchi, are you okay?” Kanoka asked from beside him.

“Ack- What?” Yamaguchi sputtered and almost tripped over his own feet.

“Ah!” Kanoka squeaked as Yamaguchi almost pulled them both to the forest floor.

“What the-?” Tsukishima grumbled, turning around to find the two teetering on tiptoes.

Fortunately for both Yamaguchi and Kanoka, they were able to catch themselves, just barely.

“S-Sorry,” Yamaguchi sputtered as he regained his footing.

“What happened? Did you trip over a rock or something?” Tsukishima mumbled, slightly annoyed.

“Well, Yamaguchi was all zoned out staring at-” Kanoka started innocently.

“I was just zoned out, that’s all!” Yamaguchi cut in quickly. He followed up with a small nervous chuckle as both Tsukishima and Kanoka looked at him oddly. “I was… thinking about my showcase,” Yamaguchi lied, refusing to look Tsukki directly in the eye as he did so.

“Oh, yeah, sometimes I get like that before a gym battle,” Kanoka laughed, taking the bait.

Tsukishima, on the other hand, did not seem convinced, and eyed Yamaguchi suspiciously. Yamaguchi made the mistake of looking at him, causing his cheeks to go bright red as he tried to ignore Tsukki’s neck and Eevee, who was still nuzzled close to him. He gave a small cough as he looked away, doing his best to fight the burning he felt in his face.

“If you’re getting tired or something, we can switch,” Tsukishima slowly spoke as he eyed both Yamaguchi and Kanoka. He wore a heavy frown on his face.

“I-I’m fine,” Yamaguchi insisted in a broken voice that was still recovering from his embarrassment. 

“Sorry if I’m too heavy,” Kanoka sighed, causing Yamaguchi to almost jump. He had almost forgotten she was even there.

“Here, you take Eevee,” Tsukishima commanded as he passed Eevee off to Yamaguchi. “I’ll take a turn helping Kanoka. I’m taller so it will be easier.” Tsukki was never this compliant when helping strangers.

“I… okay,” Yamaguchi mumbled as he took Eevee in his arms. He felt another odd, this time unpleasant, feeling in the pit of his stomach as he watched Tsukishima wrap an arm around Kanoka’s shoulder. He held Eevee close, allowing her to nuzzle into his cheek as he tried to ignore the feeling.

“Sorry,” Kanoka said from beside Tsukki. “I never meant to cause such an inconvenience,” she looked genuinely regretful when she spoke.

“No, It’s nothing you did,” Yamaguchi insisted, feeling guilty for letting his jealousy get the better of him. “I just space out sometimes.”

Kanoka sent a small but sweet smile to Yamaguchi in reply.

“Let’s get a move on before it gets too late,” Tsukishima cut in, taking a small step forward to coax the team to move onward.

Yamaguchi took the lead this time. There were not curves or turns on the path so he did not need to worry about leading them astray. From behind him Kanoka and Tsukki did not speak much. They were so quiet, every now and then he would look back to make sure they were still there. Kanoka would always be looking to the forest floor with obvious discomforts while Tsukki would be looking to the forest trees in mild annoyance, only to catch Yamaguchi’s eyes and send him a calculating look.

It wasn’t long after the switch off that something caught Yamaguchi's eyes. It was a shine just ahead on the side of the road that looked like a bit of litter, but as they approached closer the item became more familiar. Yamaguchi released a small gasp once he realized what the item was.

“It’... It can’t be… can it?” Yamaguchi mumbled as he stumbled over to the shiny food tin that lay open upon the side of the road.

“What is it, Yamaguchi?” Kanoka called as she and Tsukishima made their way over from behind.

“It’s… a food tin,” Yamaguchi replied, picking the tin up off the floor. He examped it in his hands. It looked just like his missing food tin, except it was all scratched up and the lid missing. 

Yamaguchi turned the tin around in his hands as he examined what looked to be both scratch and bite marks along the tin’s smooth surface. Tsukishima and Kanoka stood behind him, mildly confused and interested. When Yamaguchi turned it over to look at the bottom he let loose another gasp, for stuck right on the bottom of the tin was a ripped label that read ‘Yamagu--- dashi---’.

“It can’t be…” Yamaguchi mumbled as he blinked several times to be sure he wasn’t seeing things. “We’re hours away from our campsite.”

“What is it?” Kanoka asked from behind him.

“This food tin… It’s my missing food tin,” Yamaguchi gasped and showed the label to Tsukishima to confirm.

“You mean the one you couldn’t find from last night?” Kanoka questioned as she too looked at the label.

“Odd…” Tsukishima agreed but didn’t say much more. 

“How did it get all the way out here?” Yamaguchi asked as he fiddled with the gnarled tin.

“Something must have swiped it from you,” Tsukishima suggested with an aloof shrug.

“Do you really think so?” Yamaguchi gasped at the idea.

“Probably a wild Pokemon,” Kanoka cut in. “Wild Pokemon are known to steal food from unsuspecting trainers.”

“Yeah… I guess so,” Yamaguchi mumbled as he looked on at the tin in worry. “I wonder what Pokemon would’ve done this,” he carried on, thinking of Yamask. A shiver ran down his spine and he secured his hold on Eevee.

“Well, there are scratch marks, and those bites look like something you’d find from a canine Pokemon,” Kanoka wisely pointed out. “So maybe it was a Growlithe or a Lillipup or something,” She shrugged.

“Do you think it could have been a Rockruff!?” Yamaguchi asked with stars in his eyes. He’d always wanted to catch a Rockruff.

“Rockruff are only found in Alola,” Tsukishima bluntly replied.

“Oh, right,” Yamaguchi deflated.

“Well, whatever it was, it’s probably long gone,” Kanoka sighed.

“As long as it’s not a Yamask,” Yamaguchi gave a nervous laugh and shivered.

“A Yamask?” Kanoka asked.

“Long story,” Tsukishima grubled, though he seemed to share Yamaguchi’s sentiment.

Yamaguchi stifled a small laugh as Kanoka looked from Tsukishima to Yamaguchi, as confused as ever.

The three trainers carried on down the forest towards the Pokemon Center they hoped to stay at for the night. Yamaguchi and Kanoka spent the rest of the walk sharing small stories about their travels thus far. Yamaguchi talked of the baking competition he competed in at the festival and Eevee’s hatching, while Kanoka told a long story of how she’d become lost in the woods just outside of Route 20 but had come out with a new Pancham. All the while, Tsukki helped as Kanoka’s crutch, not speaking a single word, but he seemed to be more or less content.

It wasn’t long before the three arrived at the Pokemon center. It was just in time for lunch and they found themselves a nice spot in the Pokemon Center to have a quick lunch before settling in for the day.

“After lunch, I’m going to drop by the first aid center to get my foot looked at,” Kanoka hummed as she munched on a rice ball.

“I’ll be practicing for my showcase,” Yamaguchi replied, as he held Eevee close and fed her lunch. “So, if you wouldn’t mind…” He started, giving Tsukishima baby-doll eyes.

“Yeah, I’ll baby sit,” Tsukishima mumbled, doing his best not to blush.

“You’re the best, Tsukki!” Yamaguchi smiled brightly.

“Shut up, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima blushed, looking anywhere but his friend.

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi apologized, his smile still big and not sorry.

“You two are so funny,” Kanoka laughed as she watched the unintentional comitic act.

“What do you mean?” Yamaguchi asked, forgetting for the second time that Kanoka was even there.

“Your interactions with each other, they are just so-” Kanoka started with a school girl giggle.

“I am going to go grab a drink,” Tsukishima cut in before standing up and walking off. 

With a confused tilt of his head, Yamaguchi watched Tsukki walk off towards the vending machines next to the Pokemart.

“He’s cute when he’s shy,” Kanoka hummed. When Yamaguchi turned to look at her, he was met with a giddy school girl smile.

“Y-Yeah, I guess,” Yamaguchi replied, but an odd feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. Why was Tsukki behaving shy like just now? It wasn’t like him.

“Well, I’d better hit the first aid stand,” Kanoka announced as she stuffed the last bite of her rice ball into her mouth. “Good luck with the practice.”

“Th-Thanks,” Yamaguchi replied, still hung up on what Kanoka had said only moments ago. He watched her walk off until she entered through the first aid door. His eyes than wandered to Eevee who lay asleep in his arms. She always got so lethargic after lunch. With a small smile on his face, he held her close in a warm snuggle. “You are quite spoiled, aren't you?” Yamaguchi cooed as he showered his Eevee with love.

“And she’s only going to become more spoiled if you fold to her every whim,” Tsukishima grumbled as he took his seat. Despite his sassy remark, he looked quite content as he watched both Eevee and Yamaguchi. 

“I can’t help it, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi whispered so as to not stir Eevee. “She’s just so cute.”

“I wonder if you’ll be thinking that when she refuses to endure other Pokemon once she’s old enough,” Tsukishima affectionately scoffed as he tried to sneer but failed.

Yamaguchi released a small chortle at his best friend’s failed attempts at being salty. “Well, maybe you can whip her into shape while I am practicing,” Yamaguchi gently laughed as he passed Eevee off to Tsukki.

“It’s not my job to make sure she’s well rounded,” Tsukishima shot back with a playful smirk. He gently took the sleepy Eevee and allowed her to settle in his lap.

“Well, you’re like a father to her,” Yamaguchi accidently slipped out. He pursed his lips really fast, as his cheeks went bright red.

“If I’m the father than what does that make you?” Tsukishima asked as his cheeks dusted pink. He tried again for sass, but the burning in his ears made it hard.

“I’d best be off to train now,” Yamaguchi coughed louder than he meant, ignoring Tsukki’s question. “Got lots of training to do,” he robotically walked towards the exit as he spoke, failing to calm the burning in his cheeks.

“Hey!” Tsukishima called after as Yamaguchi disappeared out the door. “Sometimes, I just don’t know what your mother is thinking,” Tsukishima mumbled as he looked to Eevee.

The sun was already setting by the time Yamaguchi arrived back from practice. Though he was tired, he wasted little time in preparing a fresh batch of Pokemon food for the group. Both Tsukishima and Kanoka insisted that Yamaguchi take a rest after such a long practice session, but Yamaguchi brushed it off saying he was fine.

“Homemade food is best for a Pokemon,” Yamaguchi had argued as Tsukishima heckled him to take a rest. “I have to make sure my team is in top shape for the showcase!”

“If you overdo it you won’t be in any shape for a showcase,” Tsukishima argued back.

“Realx, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi pressed as he worked and talked at the same time. “I’ll be able to rest after I’m done. It’s not that late.”

“Whatever,” Tsukishima sighed with a frown. “Just don’t make yourself sick,” he grumbled before leaving Yamaguchi to his work.

It didn’t take Yamaguchi much longer than an hour to whip together a fresh batch of food, but by the time he was done he was beat. Once the food was packed away in their backpacks and he’d showered off the day’s grime, he collapsed into his bed. As always, he took the bottom bunk, leaving the top for Tsukki, who was currently out with Kanoka at the Pokecenter cafeteria buying them dinner.

Swirlix had made herself comfortable on the backpacks that had been left in the far corner of the room. Popplio had passed out cold at the foot of Yamaguchi’s bed, and Eevee slept soundly in and securely in Yamaguchi’s arms, who’d passed out the second his head hit the pillow. With the window cracked and the cool evening breeze blowing into the dark room, he couldn’t help but to fall into a exhausted slumber.

Yamaguchi’s catnap was comfortable, and he was warm under his comforter. The room was quiet and his body was exhausted in the most satisfying of ways. His sleep was so deep, even the loudest of sounds would have trouble in waking him. That's why he didn’t take notice when the window creaked open. Nor did he stir when the thief entered into the room. Calculating red eyes zeroed in on Yamaguchi, watching him with much interest as he slept.

The door to the room creaked open, allowing a sliver of light in. The low mumble of Tsukishima’s voice echoed from just outside the door but the stranger looked on at Yamaguchi in almost a trance. All the while, Yamaguchi slept peacefully, unaware of the any sort of drama.

A moment of silence filled the room.

“Yamaguchi!” Tsukishima shouted as he caught sight of a small shadowy figure standing over his sleeping best friend. The light from the door just barely missed Yamauchi’s bed, shrouding it in light. Tsukishima fumbled for the light switch.

“AH! What is it?” Kanoka cried out from behind Tsukki.

The creature looked from Yamaguchi to the door, releasing a small growl.

The sound of his friends yelling stirred Yamaguchi. He released a incoherent mumble as he rolled over. His mind still fogged as he cracked his eyes to see what all the commotion was about. As he blinked away his sleep, he was met by two piercing red eyes, and his breath caught in his throat as he froze on the spot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun Dun Duuuuuuun!!!! Oh my! What ever could it be looming over our Yamaguchi? Will he be okay!? Will the intruder attack!? Will Tsukki woop it’s ass? Who was it that stole their food? Could this be related or a coincidence? There is only one way to find out, my readers!
> 
> Hey all! I should be getting chapter 23 out as normal next week or I will at lease do my best to. I am going to be in the process of moving soon but I am going to do my best to keep chapter updates as consistent as I can. I will let you all know if things get rocky and I need to switch to an every other week upload.
> 
> As always thank you all so much for the kind kudos, bookmarks, follows, comments and reviews. It’s always a pleasure to hear from you all and feedback is the best way to get me writing. If you find yourself with time after reading please leave a comment or review and let me know what you think.
> 
> Well, that is all for now! See you next chapter!


	23. Arrival to Camphrier Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to find out who is creeping on Yama? YAY!
> 
> My current beta is doing such an awesome job!!!! They go by the name of Killer_Squids and can be found on AO3 here (https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killer_Squids). They can also be found on tumblr under the name land-banana. They have done a wonderful job with betaing for me so if you have time please give there page a look.
> 
> Chapter 23, HERE WE GO!

“Get away from him!” Yamaguchi heard Tsukki shout from the entrance. Yamaguchi lay in stunned silence, still unsure if he was dreaming or not. The red eyes of the intruder glowed as they stared down upon the shocked and groggy trainer.

A sound of rushing footsteps and the glowing eyes looked to the door. The click of the light turning on and a flash of blue streaked from Yamaguchi’s bed and out the window. Still stunned, Yamaguchi sat wide-eyed in his bed as his vision became used to the sudden light. He was vaguely aware of Tsukki rushing past him and to the window.

“What the crap!?” Tsukishima growled as he scanned the dark bushes just outside their window. He scanned the area once more before shutting the window and locking it up.

“T-Tsukki? What just…” Yamaguchi mumbled as he sat up. A just as confused Eevee tumbled into his lap. “Did something sneak into our room?”

“It would seem so,” Kanoka nodded as she set their dinner down on the small table by the door. She looked just as spooked as Yamaguchi did. “Do you see it out there, Tsukishima?”

“No,” Tsukishima sighed in frustration. “It’s gone.”

A moment of silence filled the room. Yamaguchi felt thoroughly creeped out, and Kanoka looked just as bothered, if not more.

“Was… Was it… Watching me sleep?” Yamaguchi dared to ask. As the question left his mouth he felt all sorts of uneasy.

“It looked like that was what it was doing,” Kanoka replied with a shiver of her own. “How creepy!”

“What was it? Did you get a look at it?” Yamaguchi asked next, his mind wandering to Yamask and it’s red eyes.

“It wasn’t a Yamask,” Tsukishima replied, knowing where Yamaguchi’s train of thought was headed. “I didn’t get a good enough look at it, but I know it had legs and arms. It was running.”

“And it was blue,” Kanoka added. “That was all I could tell because it moved so fast.”

Silence hung in the air as the three settled more into the room. Yamaguchi stayed in bed as he did his best to calm down and not let what just happened get to him. Kanoka got to divvying up their dinner. Tsukishima stood by the window, keeping a keen eye out for whatever it was.

“I wonder what it wanted…” Yamaguchi barely mumbled, his right hand gently ruffling Eevee’s soft mane in an attempt to calm himself down.

“Probably food…” Kanoka shrugged, handing Yamaguchi a plate of curry rice.

“But why would it watch me?” Yamaguchi shivered as he received the plate of food.

“Maybe it didn’t expect a trainer to be in the room or something?” Kanoka weakly suggested, passing a plate to Tsukki.

Tsukishima received his place. He turned and leaned against the closed window as he began on his meal. “It’s gone now, so there is no need to fuss over it,” he sternly instructed.

“You don’t think it was the same Pokemon that went after our food from the forest, do you?” Yamaguchi asked, ignoring Tsukki. He was still too jazzed up not to fuss.

“No way,” Kanoka forced a laugh. With a plate of food in hand, she now sat on the bed across from Yamaguchi. “It’s probably just a coincidence, right?” She didn’t sound convinced by her own words.

“Yeah, a coincidence,” Yamaguchi forcefully laughed, but it petered off into a sigh.

Another silence filled the room as the three trainers ate their meal. The food did help Yamaguchi think clearly, but didn’t help much in erasing the glowing red eyes from his memory. He wondered if he would ever be able to forget waking up to a stranger watching him.

“From now on, we sleep with the windows closed,” Tsukishima stated as he strode across the room and placed his plate on the table. “I’m going for a walk.”

“What? You can’t leave with that thing out there,” Yamaguchi objected almost too quickly, as he knew Tsukki was going to go poke around for the intruder.

Tsukishima stared at Yamaguchi for a long moment. His eyes were stern and distant, but still held a hint of care for his best friend. Yamaguchi gave a pleading look for Tsukki to just stay in the room.

“I won’t go looking for that thing. I’m not an idiot,” Tsukishima replied, once again reading his best friend’s worries. “I’m just going to drop by the Pokemart.”

Yamaguchi could tell it was a lie. He responded with a deep frown, but knew there was nothing he could do to stop Tsukki.

“My team will be with me if you’re worried about your admirer attacking me,” Tsukishima added with a large helping of sass.

“Tsukki!” Yamaguchi complained, unable to hide his urge to smile. Tsukki was just sometimes too much.

Tsukishima didn’t smile, but he seemed pleased to find Yamaguchi less tense. “I’ll be back soon,” Tsukishima said before slipping out the door.

“Hey, Tsukki!” Yamaguchi called after, tripping as he stood from his bed. “You better not pick a fight with that thing!” but Tsukishima was long gone by the time he got to the door.

“He’ll be fine,” Kanoka laughed. “I’m sure that the intruder Pokemon is long gone by now.”

“Tsukki is so stubborn sometimes,” Yamaguchi sighed, mildly frustrated. “Always doing what he wants…”

“I’m sure he’s just worried,” Kanoka insisted with a small giggle. “You should’ve seen his face when we opened the door and that thing was hunched over you. He looked about ready to kill.”

“Was he really that upset?” Yamaguchi blushed, not wanting to admit he was happy to hear Tsukki cared so much.

“I don’t know what was scarier, him or the Pokemon,” Kanoka jokes. “It’s cute, how much he pretends not to care.”

“Hey, don’t make fun of Tsukki,” Yamaguchi scolded pathetically, his face growing redder by the moment.

Kanoka just giggled at Yamaguchi’s reaction, causing Yamaguchi to blush even more. Yamaguchi pouted, his meal left to the side to get cold. Despite his pout, his chest filled with warmth at the idea of Tsukki caring so much. It felt him feeling light and fluttery.

“Hey, the Pokemart is connected to the Pokemon Center, isn’t it?” Kanoka asked after the giggles had worn off.

“Yeah, why?” Yamaguchi mumbled, still feeling quite embarrassed by the teasing. 

As a reply Kanoka only giggled, looking to the door where Tsukki had just left.

It then dawned on Yamaguchi. He wondered if Tsukki had forgotten that the Pokemart was connected to the Pokemon Center when he’d fashioned his lie. Sometimes, Tsukki was just too much.

“I’m going to have a long talk with Tsukki when he gets back,” Yamaguchi joked, doing his best impression of a disappointed parent. 

This time Kanoka’s giggles were accompanied by Yamaguchi’s own stifled laughter. If Tsukki were to know they were poking fun at him, he’d surely migrate into the corner to frown. 

It took Yamaguchi a long while to calm back down. Even after Tsukki had come back from his trip to the Poke Mart, of which he didn’t come back with any items, Yamaguchi still felt uneasy. He did his best to hide it, but knew Tsukki could see right through him. As the group turned out the lights for bed, Yamaguchi felt another wave of fear wash over him.

“The window is locked. No one needs to worry,” Yamaguchi heard Tsukishima’s stern voice from the bunk above him. 

It was oddly comforting, and in this moment Yamaguchi felt much more relaxed. The idea of Tsukki being above him helped settle his nerves. With the thought of his best friend so close, he eventually fell into a sound sleep.

It was late noon when the three travelers arrived in Camphrier Town. Yamaguchi was surprised to have arrived in the town with time to spare. He had two days before the showcase, which meant plenty of time for him to settle in and perfect his routine.

“I need to sign up for the showcase as soon as possible!” Yamaguchi explained as the three entered the very ancient looking town. With the roads made of cobblestone and many of the houses resembling huts, the town gave off a very historic feel.

“Is the sign-up location at the Pokecenter?” Kanoka asked, half addressing Yamaguchi and half admiring the old buildings.

“Let me check,” Yamaguchi smiled and pulled out his Pokedex. He clicked a few buttons before it brought up a small map of the region. “Let’s see,” Yamaguchi hummed, the tip of his tongue just sticking out the side of his mouth. He released another small ‘hmmm’ as he failed to orient himself on the map.

“The sign up location is at Shabboneau Castle,” Tsukishima cut in as he pocketed his tablet.

“Oh, right. Thanks, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi laughed.

Kanoka admired the two friends with a small pleasant giggle.

“To the castle, then,” Yamaguchi hummed as he did a bit of a spin in an attempt to decide the direction they would go.

“This way,” Tsukishima sighed, heading them off down the right path.

“Oh, right. Thanks, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi repeated sheepishly.

Tsukishima just barely retained his smile as he lead the other two towards the castle.

“Wow, I can’t believe your first showcase will be in an actual castle,” Kanoka gasped as she matched pace with Yamaguchi.

“I wonder if it really is a castle or if it’s just the name of the place,” Yamaguchi inquired, as he himself had never heard of Shabboneau Castle nor had he any time to look into it prior to their arrival.

“It just sounds so regal,” Kanoka carried on dreamily. “Have you ever been to a castle before, Yamaguchi?”

“No, never!” Yamaguchi replied with the shake of his head. “Alola doesn’t really have castles!”

“That’s right! I forgot you’re from Alola,” Kanoka gasped. “How exciting! Your first castle and first showcase!”

“Yeah, I guess it is exciting,” Yamaguchi agreed, feeling a bit nervous. Mild fear of him being rejected to join the showcase washed over him. He was extraordinarily ordinary. What if they only allowed regal people?

A silence fell over the three as they made their way through the small town. Yamaguchi’s nerves left him feeling quite noxious. He was very excited for his first showcase, but at the same time it all of a sudden felt very real. In a matter of days, he would be performing for thousands of people. Was he really ready for this?

“Wow! Look! It’s a real moat,” Kanoka gasped as she rushed forward. 

Yamaguchi felt his worries subside for a moment as he took in the large castle-like manor surrounded by a large moat. He didn’t know what he was expected to see, but a castle with a moat around it was not it. He felt a sense of both excitement and anxiety overwhelm him.

“It really is a castle,” Yamaguchi gasped, standing beside Tsukki.

“Says here it’s more like a museum than a castle,” Tsukishima hummed. It was hard for Yamaguchi to read Tsukki’s take on the structure, though he didn’t seem terribly overwhelmed. “The theater seems to be newly refurbished though.”

“Let’s go inside!” Kanoka called, waving the boys over to the bridge entrance.

Tsukishima looked to Yamaguchi to see if he was ready. Yamaguchi sent him a small reassuring smile followed by a nod. With that, the two trainers followed Kanoka into the castle. 

As the three entered the large castle, they were surprised to find that it did indeed resemble more of a museum than anything. Yamaguchi could see that several extravagant items were on display just behind the front counter. A kind woman smiled at the three as they entered greeting them with a warm “Welcome to Shabboneau Castle.”

Tsukishima pushed Yamaguchi forward, prompting him to take charge of the conversation. Kanoka stood to the side, reading off of a pamphlet she had snatched at the entrance. Yamaguchi hesitated for only a moment, unsure how to start.

“I-I’m here for the showcase…” Yamaguchi weakly introduced. He cursed himself for being so timid.

“Oh, the showcase isn’t for two days from now,” the woman quickly replied. “Most of the spectator tickets have been sold out as well,” She added, assuming that was why they were there.

“I-I’m here to s-sign up,” Yamaguchi sputtered, feeling like a fool. He could not help but feel all kinds of nervous.

“Oh, I see…” the lady hummed, looking a bit too surprised by the development. She studied Yamaguchi, looking from his messy hair to his dirty sneakers. “Well, we still have plenty of slots open for contestants,” She carried on, eyeing Yamaguchi once more.

“May I sign up then?” Yamaguchi asked, doing his best to not feel discouraged by the scrutinizing gaze of the woman.

“Of course,” She smiled, this time large and obviously fake. “Let me get the paperwork ready for you.”

“Th-thank you,” Yamaguchi replied, his heart pounding heavily in his chest. The lady’s disapproving attitude did not help his nerves. He looked to Tsukki and shot him a very fake smile that did reach to his eyes.

Tsukki looked back with a deep frown before glaring at the woman as she came back with a clipboard and a pen.

“Read through these and sign here,” She instructed, handing him the paperwork. 

“R-Right,” Yamaguchi replied, taking the clipboard and pen in his shaking hands. The paperwork was basic and didn’t take him long to fill it out and sign it. He cured himself several times as he did his best to not let his shaking hands mess up his writing too bad. He really needed to work on his nerves.

“Is this your first showcase, dear?” The woman asked as she took the paperwork back from Yamaguchi.

“Yes,” Yamaguchi replied with a small nod. He did his best to ignore the woman’s snide knowing smile. Maybe a castle wasn’t the best place for his first showcase.

The woman didn’t comment on Yamaguchi’s reply as she entered his information into the system. It only took her a moment before she turned back to the timid trainer. 

“You’re all set. You will see on your Pokedex now that you’ve been entered to this showcase and it should record if you won or not,” She professionally explained as if she were reading off lines. “You should be able to have access to further details about the showcase when you click into it on your dex,” She carried on.

“Oh, thank you,” Yamaguchi mumbled, avoiding eye contact as best he could with the woman with the woman. He opened his dex to see a message informing him about his entry into the showcase. “Is there anything else I need to do?” Yamaguchi asked.

“Nope, just show up on time and ready to perform,” the woman said with a shake of her head.

Yamaguchi gave a small nod before turning to leave. He felt an urge to leave as fast as he could. Tsukki followed after him quickly, glaring back at the woman as she called a very snide “Good luck.”

As the two passed Kanoka, she stopped reading the pamphlet and followed after.

“She was damn annoying,” Tsukishima grumbled as the three crossed the bridge. He didn’t look very happy.

Yamaguchi, still feeling quite put off by the whole experience, said nothing.

“Is everything okay?” Kanoka asked, surprised by the suddenly tense atmosphere.

“It’s fine,” Yamaguchi insisted, wanting to put it all behind and focus on the showcase itself. He should have expected strangers to judged him, and he probably looked like a hot mess, having just come from the forest.

Tsukishima shot Yamaguchi an unsatisfied look, which he always did when Yamaguchi brushed off the insults of strangers.

“If you say so,” Kanoka shrugged. 

“It’d be great if we could just check into the hotel so I could practice,” Yamaguchi insisted, ignoring Tsukki’s disgruntled expression. 

“Sounds good to me,” Kanoka hummed. “So, did you get us tickets to see the show?”

“Contestants get three free seats for friends and family,” Yamaguchi nodded.

“Oh, I hope they have a good view!” Kanoka fretted. “I want to be able to get a good look at your routine!”

“Well, we won’t find out until the show, so what’s the point of worrying?” Tsukishima cut in sharply.

“I suppose so,” Kanoka laughed along with Yamaguchi.

It wasn’t long before the group arrived to Hotel Camphrier. Instead of staying the few days they were there at the Pokemon Center hostel, the three had agreed upon staying at the local historic hotel, as it gave a very large discount to showcase performers that were to perform at the castle. It was decided that Yamaguchi and Tsukki would share a double while Kanoka reserved herself a single.

The room Tsukki and Yamaguchi reserved was a large room on the 6th story with lavish decorations and a balcony that overlooked the castle. The only thing that stopped both boys in there tracks was the large king-size bed in the middle of the room.

“T-Tsukki, I thought we ordered a room with two twin beds…” Yamaguchi asked, doing his best to hide his flaming red cheeks. It’d been years since he and Tsukki had shared a bed and the thought of doing so now made him feel incredibly nervous.

“I’ll go talk to the front desk,” Tsukishima quickly replied before leaving the room, giving Yamaguchi no time to see his reaction. He wouldn’t be surprised if Tsukki refused to share a bed.

Yamaguchi watched the door shut behind Tsukki before entering the room. Placing Eevee on the floor, he began his inspection of the room. Despite the bed surprise, the rest of the room was simply amazing. The windows were large, letting in a fair amount of natural sunlight. The room was spacious and elegantly decorated with pictures of local landscapes. The bathroom was large and contained a bathtub large enough to fit both himself and all his Pokemon. The shower contained three shower heads and its tile was made of what Yamaguchi assumed to be marble. He had never been anywhere this fancy in all his life.

He’d been checking his tired reflection in the bathroom mirror when Tsukki arrived back to the room. Yamaguchi gave a jump at the loud sound of the door shutting when he entered.

“They’re booked,” He heard Tsukki mumbled as he dropped his luggage to the floor.

“What?” Yamaguchi asked, stumbling out of the bathroom.

“When I asked to switch us to a room with two twin beds they said they were booked,” Tsukishima reiterated as he plopped down on the bed.

“Oh…” Yamaguchi reluctantly replied, unsure if Tsukki was upset to share a bed with him. Eevee ran to his ankle begging to be let up. “I don’t mind taking the floor,” he mumbled holding Eevee close.

“Don’t be stupid,” Tsukishima sighed, avoiding eye contact with Yamaguchi. “The beds big enough for us both,” he carried on, hiding his pink blush with a turn of his head.

“Right,” Yamaguchi awkwardly replied, he too feeling his cheeks warm up. “I promise not to kick in my sleep,” he added, hoping to lighten the mood.

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Tsukishima shot back dryly, though there was no scorn in his tone. “When have you ever stayed still when sleeping.”

“At least I don’t snore,” Yamaguchi teased, plopping down next to Tsukki and nudging him lightly on the shoulder.

“What?” Tsukishima looked to Yamaguchi with the utmost offence. “I’ll have you know I don’t snore.”

Yamaguchi stifled a laugh at his friend’s reaction, which only caused Tsukki to pout.

“Shut up, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima mumbled, looking to the side.

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi laughed, giving his friend another soft nudge. He could tell by the pout and blush that Tsukki was more embarrassed than angry.

“Don’t you have some practicing to do?” Tsukishima asked, his tone holding a prude edge.

“Right!” Yamaguchi replied, his laughter calming down. “Day one is already half over, I better get to practicing before it gets dark,” he carried on as he stood and began to gather what he needed.

“We can meet back here at sunset before going for dinner,” Tsukishima said as he watched his best friend bustle about the room.

“Sounds good to me,” Yamaguchi hummed, double checking himself once more. Once satisfied with himself, he smiled at his best friend. “Wish me luck!’

“Don’t fall in the moat,” Tsukishima flatly replied.

“Good enough,” Yamaguchi shrugged, stifling another laugh. “See you tonight,” Yamaguchi said as he exited the door.

“I mean it about the moat!” Tsukishima called after. From behind the shut door, he heard Yamaguchi give a very sarcastic laugh.

Yamaguchi’s training went over without a hitch. He and Popplio were in the best sync they had ever been in, and he knew they were more than ready to perform the routine for the contest, but despite all that, something was still eating at him. A pressure was beginning to build in his mind. With the strange Pokemon sneaking into their room last night. Knowing it’s red eyes watched him while he slept. It creeped him out and though he knew it was long gone, he still checked over his shoulder now and again. When he paired that with the way the lady at the castle had looked down on him, her judging eyes haunted him just as much as the strange intruder’s red eyes.

He wanted more than anything to prove her wrong. He wanted to be able to hold his head high despite her mocking gaze and disbelieving tone, and he wanted more than anything to be that brave person who isn’t bothered by what others think. Unfortunately, at the moment, he wasn’t any of that.

He had stuttered the whole time talking with the lady, he left the castle in obvious shame, and even hours later he still allowed the moment to haunt him. What haunted him most of all was the thought that the lady was right to look down on him.

She worked for the showcase circuit, so she must have seen all sorts of showcase contestants. What if she had seen so many contestants she could tell with one look the good ones from the bad ones. What if she could see just by looking that Yamaguchi didn’t have what it took?

Of course, those assumptions were just ludicrous. Yamaguchi knew that he was way overthinking it. Despite being more than aware of that, his nerves still left him feeling like he could vomit at any moment.

The sun was almost set by the time Yamaguchi made it back to the hotel. He took his time making it up the elevator and dawdled on his way to the room. He knew he looked like a mess, and he knew Tsukki was going to pick up on his distress right away. The last thing he needed was a suspicious and worried Tsukki.

Stopping just outside the hotel room door, Yamaguchi took a shaky breath and put on his best smile. With the swipe of the room key, he entered the room with feigned confidence. With only one small lamp on, their hotel room was dim, everything soaked in an orange-red tint as the last rays of the setting sun filtered through the window. Tsukishima was laying on the bed flipping through his tablet. Salazzle lay next to him asleep, and Eevee slept snuggled securely between Salazzle and Tsukki. Bagon and Snivy both slept on a cushioned lounge chair just beside the window.

“Best practice yet,” Yamaguchi said, announcing his arrival. The room door thunked loudly as it shut behind him.

Tsukishima looked over the rim of his tablet at Yamaguchi, his golden eyes studying his every inch. Yamaguchi faltered but held his smile as Tsukishima’s left eyebrow twitched once during his silent inspection.

“Good to hear,” Tsukishima finally replied, placing his tablet on the side table.

“I think I’m more than ready for the showcase,” Yamaguchi hummed as he sat down on his side of the bed.

Tsukishima studied Yamaguchi with a suspicious eye, who looked away, turning his face towards the window. The sun had finally set over the distant mountain range. The room was bathed in a purple-blue tint as the moon took its rightful place in the sky.

“My, it got dark fast today,” Yamaguchi blurted foolishly. He inwardly cringed at his own voice, wondering why couldn’t he learn to just keep quiet.

“Right…” Tsukishima replied in a very drawn out tone. “Are you ready for dinner?” He then asked, obviously unsure what Yamaguchi was getting at.

“Y-Yeah, I’m totally starved,” Yamaguchi replied suspiciously fast, looking over his shoulder at Tsukki. An ache passed through his gut as he did so.

Tsukishima frowned deeply at that, causing Yamaguchi to avoid eye contact once more. The look in Tsukishima’s eyes was a mix of disapproval and confliction. It made Yamaguchi uneasy. He knew how much Tsukishima hated tedious things and his worries about the upcoming showcase were just that, tedious.

Yamaguchi felt the bed shift beside him as Tsukishima pulled up close. Yamaguchi glanced to the side to see Tsukki with an unreadable expression . He sat silent for a long moment.

“T-Tsukki?” Yamaguchi whispered, taking extra notice of their arms brushing up against one another.

Tsukishima didn’t look at Yamaguchi, nor did he say anything, but his close presence grew more comforting by the moment. Yamaguchi hesitated, unsure what to do or say. With a small sigh, he allowed himself to lean against his best friend. As his head rested on Tsukishima’s shoulder, his anxiety began to subside.

He’d never noticed before, but Tsukki was much warmer than he looked. His shoulder more comfortable than one would expect. Yamaguchi had almost forgotten how comforting Tsukki could be. He knew Tsukki was comforting him in his own Tsukki way, and Yamaguchi was more than grateful for it.

Tsukishima didn’t move. He was never good with words but fortunately, he didn’t have to be to communicate with his best friend. He allowed Yamaguchi the moment of silence and comfort, but he dared not look at him, for his eyes could betray him. He could feel with every passing moment, the tension in his best friend easing up.

How much time passed, neither knew. It was only when Yamaguchi’s stomach released a low growl of hunger did the two snap out of the moment. A natural smile came to Yamaguchi’s lips as he felt hungry once more.

“Thanks, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi whispered as he sat up straight. He still felt a mixed variety of nerves in the back of his mind, but the hard edge had faded. “I feel much better.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Tsukishima replied, standing up from the bed and walking to the window, making sure to keep his face hidden from Yamaguchi’s view.

With a small smile, Yamaguchi’s eyes followed his best friend’s every movement. He felt more grateful than ever to have Tsukki by his side. He always knew just how to calm him.

“So, dinner?” Tsukki asked, turning to face Yamaguchi. His expression was back to its normal neutral self.

“Starving,” Yamaguchi replied, springing up from the bed.

“Good,” Tsukishima nodded, leading the way to the door. “Kanoka went on and on about this restaurant she insisted we go to,” he drawled on in feigned annoyance. 

“Oh, now I’m excited,” Yamaguchi laughed, following after his best friend. As the two made their way down the extravagant halls of the hotel, Yamaguchi thanked Arceus for his best friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awwww how sweet can these two boys be! Now that they are in Camphrier Town Yamaguchi just has a few more days left before his showcase. Is he really going to be ready in time? Was the lady from the Castle correct? Will there be any road bumps along the way to stop our heros!? Is the red eyed creeper still tailing Yama? Stay tuned to find out this and more!
> 
> Hey readers. Next weekend you can expect chapter 24 to be up same as always. I suspect it won't be late. Keep an eye out!
> 
> As always, thank you all for the kudos, bookmarks, follows, review and comments. I love to hear back from my readers and the best fuel to get any fic writer to write is feedback. If you have a moment do leave a comment or review in the section below <3
> 
> This is all for now! See you all next chapter!


	24. Starlight Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Here is Chapter 24 ready for a read. Let’s see what sort of night our two boys face sharing a bed. I wonder what will happen? Is Yamaguchi ready for the show case? Hopefully he doesn’t come across any snags
> 
> My current beta is doing such an awesome job!!!! They go by the name of Killer_Squids and can be found on AO3 here (https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killer_Squids). They can also be found on tumblr under the name land-banana. They have done a wonderful job with betaing for me so if you have time please give there page a look.
> 
> Let’s read chapter 24!!!!

That night was very awkward for both Yamaguchi and Tsukishima. Dinner with Kanoka had gone past like a breeze.The three chatted normally and enjoyed themselves, but it was after dinner that set Yamaguchi’s nerves on edge. He had to share a bed with Tsukishima.

Yamaguchi and Tsukishima had shared beds many a time as children, but around the age of 14 Tsukishima had deemed it too childish and they hadn’t shared one since. As a child, Yamaguchi loved sharing a bed with Tsukki. Tsukki would always read books on fossil Pokemon on nights where Yamaguchi was extra spooked about sleeping away from home. It always calmed him, listening to Tsukki read about Tyrantrum and Aurorus. His calm and even voice always helped Yamaguchi with any anxiety he’d been carrying throughout the day, and he’d always get the best rest when sleeping next to Tsukki. 

Since then, things had changed between the two. They were older, and it had been ages since they’d shared a bed. Yamaguchi would like to think everything was fine between them and that nothing had changed, but it had definitely changed for Yamaguchi.

When they were kids he felt happy and secure around Tsukki. He rarely ever felt shy, and the idea of sleeping next to him was not odd at all, but his feelings had changed in the past few years. Instead of feeling secure around Tsukki, he felt an odd fluttery feeling, both warm and nervous at the idea of laying next to him. He was excited to be so close to Tsukki yet again, under the same sheets but when he dwelled on these thoughts, he began to feel guilty. Tsukki was his friend and these feeling were more than just friendly.

When they had returned to their room, they both changed into there nightwear and both silently and awkwardly slipped under the sheets. Tsukki immediately rolled onto his side, his back facing Yamaguchi. With Eevee snug in his arms, Yamaguchi had gazed at Tsukki’s lonely back for only a moment before rolling over himself. As much as he wanted to gawk at the beauty of his best friend, he knew it was not the right thing to do.

Sleep didn’t come quickly for Yamaguchi. He lay on his side for what felt like hours, though it could have been only a few minutes, for he was too nervous to really know. It was only when Tsukki’s breathing became low and even did Yamaguchi begin to relax, and soon after, he too fell asleep.

His dreams were odd that night. He stood with Eevee and Popplio on a large stage. He knew there was a crowd of people watching but all he could see around him was the cosmos. Twinkling stars and swirling galaxies filled the stands, filling Yamaguchi with an odd sense of fear. All the while, Eevee and Popplio waiting for his queue. Almost as if he were a wind up toy, he and the two Pokemon began to dance to a routine he had never practiced.

Yamaguchi’s body moved on its own as Eevee and Popplio swirled around him like shooting stars. He could hear cheers of people but could not see them, and he began to panic as he carried on dancing against his will. Eevee and Popplio did not seem to take notice of his distress. With panic building up he attempted to shout, but just as he had no control over his body, he also had no control over his voice. 

The routine went on for what felt like aeons as the voices of the crowd faded in and out, becoming as loud as a boom only to fade into a distant whisper, switching back and forth like the ocean tide. Yamaguchi felt as if he were about to drown in it. It became harder and harder to breathe as he tried to struggle free. It became too much until suddenly there was nothing at all.

As if a switch had been flipped, he regained control of himself, tumbling to the stage floor. Eevee and Popplio eeped in surpries before they both popped out of existence. Yamaguchi felt a moment of panic only for his attention to be drawn back out towards the cosmos. The sounds of the cheering crowd had faded as a strange new sound filled the space. The stars and galaxies reflected in Yamaguchi’s eyes as he listed to a sad sound that cried out, echoing all around him. It sounded almost like a plea for help.

He suddenly felt the urge to help whatever it was. He stood and looked around frantically only to find he was not on the stage anymore but a lone rock out in space. He looked over it’s edge only to find darkness, dotted with specks of lights. A strangely heavy feeling sunk into the pit of his stomach, and he heard the whimpering cry once more.

“Hello, is someone there?” Yamaguchi called out, his voice echoing far too loudly. 

“It will soon be ours,” a strange hiss echoed through the dark space, sending a shock through Yamaguchi.

With that, the cry stopped. Silence filled the air, and a sudden feeling of paranoia filled Yamaguchi. He blinked once only to find the stars and space dust fall away leaving him in complete darkness. The rock he stood on shifted under his feet. He opened his mouth to shout, but no sound came out as the rock crumbled into dust and he began to fall. His arms and legs flailed about as he became consumed by the darkness.

“Y-Yamaguchi, G-Get off of me!” Tsukishima grumbled as a panicking Yamaguchi rolled flailed about on top of him.

“AHHHHH!” Yamaguchi shouted as he clung to Tsukishima.

“Wake up, for Arceus sake!” Tsukishima snapped as he got a bonk in the head from Yamaguchi’s elbow.

Yamaguchi clung to Tsukishima for dear life, his arms held fast around his middle and his face pressed up against his chest. He gave an pathetic whimper and he refused to let go.

“Wake up, Yamaguchi!” Tsukishima commanded once more as he gave his friend a good shake. 

“T-Tsukki?” Yamaguchi mumbled as he began to come to. His heart was pounding and his brow drenched in sweat. With his arms still held fast around Tsukki’s he became more aware of his surroundings.

“What was that?” Tsukishima asked in a tone much sharper than he’d meant. An odd feeling of both wanting to hold his best friend close to comfort him and wanting to pry Yamaguchi off to shout at him fought at the back of Tsukishima’s mind.

As Yamaguchi woke up, he became quite aware of who he was holding. He could feel Tsukishima’s heart beating fiercely against his cheek, and when he looked up, he saw Tsukki looking at him with a mixture of concern and annoyance.

“T-Tsukki! Ah! I’m sorry!” Yamaguchi spluttered as he released his best friend and flew back, the force of doing so almost knocking him off the bed.

“Are you okay?” Tsukishima dead panned as he reached a hand out to steady his best friend. His brow grew heavy with concern each passing second.

Yamaguchi was far too embarrassed to take any notice of this. “Yeah, fine,” Yamaguchi replied quickly. “Just a bad dream. Stress dream I’d suspect,” he blabbered on in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. 

“Bad dream?” Tsukishima echoed uncertainty heavy in his tone. Yamaguchi looked like he had just stared death in the face with how white his face was. “Want to… talk about it?” He awkwardly asked. Comfort was not his strongest skill.

Yamaguchi’s cheek when bright red at the offer. Fortunately, the room was still dark enough to hide it. “I… It was… Well,” Yamaguchi stammered as he both tried to calm his fluttering heart and recall the dream. He glanced to the side to find Eevee sleeping soundly just above where his head had been. He tried to focus on her in an attempt to calm himself.

Tsukishima’s brow raised in still growing concern for his best friend. It had been years since a dream had spooked Yamaguchi's this bad.

“I… I can’t seem to recall,” Yamaguchi reluctantly admitted. “It must have been a wild one, though,” He tried to joke, smiling in hope to show he was feeling better.

Tsukishima didn't seem convinced. Yamaguchi had never been able to pull one over on him.

“Are you worried about the showcase this much?” Tsukishima asked after a long moment.

“I… Didn’t think I was,” Yamaguchi sighed, his shoulders deflating. For the most part, he felt quite ready for the showcase. Had the dream been about the showcase? He couldn't even recall. “I guess the stress has gotten to me,” he admitted, still uncertain of it himself.

A silence hung in the air as Tsukki seemed lost on what to do. Yamaguchi glanced at him twice, more than ready to insist he not worry about it.

“Well, lay back down and relax, I can read a bit about fossil Pokemon if you’d like,” Tsukishima mumbled, looking uncharacteristically shy. 

Yamaguchi sat shock or only a moment as his heart began to flutter. A grateful warth spread out from his chest to his limbs. 

“I’d really like that,” Yamaguchi quietly replied. He made sure not to startle Tsukki as he did so, knowing it would probably do him in. With that he quietly scooped the sleeping Eevee back into his arms shuffled under his blankets.

“Comfy?” Tsukishima asked, once Yamaguchi was tucked snug back in the sheets. He glanced over to find his friend smiling up at him. Eevee snuggled close to Yamaguchi’s chest.

“Very,” Yamaguchi replied softly. He looked to Tsukki with a content smile.

With a clear of his throat, Tsukishima settled himself back on his side of the bed. He then picked up his tablet, clicked around only a few times before finding what it was he wanted.

Clearing his voice, Tsukishima began to read. “Aurorus is thought to have been primarily blue with large light colored flaps coming from it’s head and neck…” Tsukishima began, his voice deep and even.

Yamaguchi immediately began to relax. The steady familiar voice of his best friend soothed him in a way nothing else could. Quicker than he’d expected, his eyes began to feel heavy. He blinked up a few times, admiring Tsukishima’s perfectly sculpted face in the light of the tablet.

“The largest Aurorus fossils were over 8 feet tall and many expect that even taller Aurorus existed at one point…” Tsukishima calmly carried on. He only glanced over once to find his best friend fighting to stay awake with a dopey smile spread on his face. Though he was worried about what had just happened, he was happy to see Yamaguchi calm down so quickly.

Yamaguchi yawned deeply as his eyes fluttered shut. His head nuzzled his pillow as he fell into a very comfortable sleep. He felt familiar, safe, and secure, just as he did back when he and Tsukki would share a bed as kids.

His sleep for the rest of that night was dreamless and calm. When he woke the next morning, Tsukki was gone from the bed, but he could hear the shower running. Though he would never admit it, he was disappointed to wake up alone.

“So, are you ready for the showcase tomorrow?” Kanoka asked over breakfast that morning.

“Yeah, I think so,” Yamaguchi replied, his voice only half confident.

Tsukishima glanced his way but said nothing.

“Let’s go over the list once more just to be sure,” Kanoka sang as she pulled out her light purple tablet. “You’ve got your Pokemon and your recipes ready, right?” She asked, looking from her tablet to Yamaguchi.

“Of course I do,” Yamaguchi chuckled as he began to feed Eevee her bottle.

“You’ve done a fair job of reviewing fashion, just in case, correct?” Kanoka listed off more.

“I’ve been practicing hand stitching before bed every night,” Yamaguchi nodded, a little less confident.

“Alright, and you have your performance outfit for the show all clean and pressed?” Kanoka cheerfully carried on.

“My what?” Yamaguchi asked, looking from Eevee to Kanoka.

“You know, the outfit you are going to wear on stage,” Kanoka asked, half startled at Yamaguchi’s confusion.

“I was just going to wear what I normally wear,” Yamaguchi reluctantly replied, fearing to ask what he was going to ask next. “Is that… not okay?”

“Well, umm…” Kanoka seemed very unsure how to answer the question. “I’ve never been in a showcase myself but most performers, they wear something nice, like a suit or a nice dress.”

Yamaguchi felt his whole body go cold. Even Eevee stopped eating to look at him in concern. He felt all sorts of bad feeling rush through his head. Disappointment, frustration at himself, stupid, and embarrassment to name a few. He must have looked horrible for very quickly Kanoka added “I’m sure it’s not a requirement.” 

In his utter despair, Yamaguchi passed the concerned Eevee off to Tsukki to finish her feeding. Before he slumped forward in his chair onto the table. 

“How could I be so stupid,” Yamaguchi moaned into his used napkin. “I knew I was forgetting something.”

Tsukishima glared over at Kanoka, almost as if he were blaming her for the problem.

“Yamaguchi, it's going to be just fine!” Kanoka insisted, doing her best to mend the situation. “We have plenty of time to find you a costume at a nearby shop,” he suggested.

Yamaguchi looked up from the table, a little less miserable. “Do you think they’ll have something for me?” he asked in hope.

“Of course,” Kanoka smiled, looking to Tsukki to help prove her point.

Tsukki frowned back at her before turning his attention to Eevee.

“We can go right now and look if you’d like,” Kanoka carried on, ignoring Tsukki’s lack of help.

“Right, but first I need to make a quick call,” Yamaguchi replied, shooting up from the table. “Tsukki, watch Eevee until I get back.”

Tsukishima replied with a quiet nod. All the while he ignored Kanoka in a very quiet annoyance.

“Meet me at the Pokemon Center when you’re done here,” Yamaguchi said before dashing out the door.

Yamaguchi ran from the restaurant to the nearest Pokemon center. Once in the small hospital he made a beeline for the PC. With shaking fingers, he entered the number he needed before pressing the call button.

“Shimada! Please! Help!” Yamaguchi cried almost the moment Shimada picked up his video call.

“Yamaguchi! Hello!” Shimada replied in shocked concern. “Long time no talk. You look… ummm…. Are you okay?” he carried on, his tone petering off near the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my what a dream Yamaguchi had!? I wonder if it was really a stress dream or maybe something more? Who knows really. Lucky he had Tsukki there to help calm him. But what about his performance outfit? Will he really just go with his street clothes in the end? Will he be able to remedy this problem in time? Stay tuned to find out this and more!
> 
> Hey all. So things are still on the path to one chapter per a week. You can expect chapter 25 to be up on time next weekend. Keep an eye out for it!
> 
> As always, thank you all for the Kudos, follows, bookmarks, comments and reviews. I love to hear from my readers and any type of feedback is wonderful. It really help get the wheels turning in my head so I can pump quality charters out. Even if you are new to the fic please drop down below and let me know what you think.
> 
> Well, that is all for now my readers! See you next chapter!


	25. Panicked Shoppers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my! What is our little Yama going to do? Will he find something in time for the showcase? We believe in you Yama!!!
> 
> My current beta is doing such an awesome job!!!! They go by the name of Killer_Squids and can be found on AO3 here (https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killer_Squids). They can also be found on tumblr under the name land-banana. They have done a wonderful job with betaing for me so if you have time please give there page a look.
> 
> Chapter 25, I choose you!!!

“You had me worried, Yamaguchi!” Shimada sighed from the other side of the screen, following his comment with a small stress-relieving chuckle.

Yamaguchi did not find the situation funny in any way whatsoever. How could Shimada be so calm about it? The showcase was in less than 24 hours, and Yamaguchi was costumeless. He was going to look a fool if he showed up as-is.

Shimada seemed to sense Yamaguchi’s frustration. “You need to calm down or you’re going to make yourself sick, okay,” he started in a calm and steady voice. “I’m sure you can find something in a nearby shop, and if not, wearing a more casual outfit will be fine.”

“If I don’t find something I’ll be the only one not in some fancy outfit,” Yamaguchi quickly retorted, leaning much too close to the camera. “If I’m the only one on stage in casual clothes I’ll look so unprepared!”

“I understand your concerns, but there isn't much that can be done at this point,” Shimada certified in an almost motherly tone. “Just go out and find what you can, and if you come up empty-handed, what you are wearing now will have to do. They can’t turn you away because of your outfit.”

“But… but… but,” Yamaguchi sputtered desperately.

“Take a deep breath in through your nose, Yamaguchi,” Shimada instructed from the other side of the screen. 

Yamaguchi stopped his sputtering, hesitating for a moment before doing as he was told. He breathed in deeply through his nose, filling his lungs with fresh air.

“Hold it,” Shimada quietly hummed.

Yamaguchi held it and counted to three.

“Now breath out through your mouth and release your tension,” Shimada said, ending his instruction.

As Yamaguchi released his breath he felt bits of his tension ease up.

“Better?” Shimada asked with a knowing smile.

“A little, I guess,” Yamaguchi mumbled.

“Good,” Shimada nodded. “Not if you get worked up again just stop and remember to breathe. Everything is going to be okay.”

Yamaguchi gave a small nod of understanding.

“Now look for an outfit and stay calm,” Shimada hummed in approval. “I know you’re going to do fine, Yamaguchi, regardless of what you wear.”

“Th-Thanks,” Yamaguchi replied with a weak smile.

With that, mentor and student bade farewell. Yamaguchi started at the blank screen as he repeated the breathing technique Shimada had just shown him. He repeated the action two more times, only stopping when his heart rate returned to normal.

With a small sigh, he picked himself up from the chair and made his way to where his friends were waiting for him in the lobby. He found Kanoka furiously flipping through her tablet and Tsukki calmly stroking a sleeping Eevee. 

“Is everything okay?” Kanoka asked once she noticed Yamaguchi’s return.

“I guess I need to do a bit of last minute clothes shopping,” Yamaguchi tried to joke, despite his heart not being in it. “Do either of you know how many clothes shops are in the area?”

“Just one,” Kanoka sighed. “At least when I checked on my tablet that's all I could find.”

“This being a small town and all, I’m not too surprised,” Yamaguchi deflated. “I guess I should go check and see if they have a suit in my size. You two don’t have to come if you don’t want to.”

“No way am I going to leave you after all you’ve done to help me,” Kanoka insisted jovially.

Yamaguchi replied with a small thankful smile.

“I have something I need to do,” Tsukishima replied quietly. “I’ll Eevee while you show and meet you two back at the hotel when you’re done,” he said before briskly walking off.

Yamaguchi felt a bit hurt that Tsukki wouldn’t help, but knew the blond was not a fan of shopping. It was probably better that Tsukki wouldn’t come in the end, lest he get impatient while shopping. Nevertheless, Yamaguchi was disappointed to see him go.

“Let’s go then!” Kanoka cheered as she grabbed Yamaguchi by the arm and headed towards the exit. “No time to waste.” 

Yamaguchi gave a small ‘Ack’ as he stumbled after Kanoka.

It took the two a good hour to locate the clothing store. Despite the town being small in population it was quite spread out, with many winding paths. The shop was larger than Yamaguchi had expected, but didn’t seem to be the type of place one would find formal clothes at. Along with the disappointing clothing selection, the shop was packed with shoppers.

“I think the men’s clothes are in the back,” Kanoka said as she and Yamaguchi weaved through the crows of shoppers.

Once at the back Yamaguchi was not surprised to see that the men’s section was only a fourth the size as the ladies section. As he scanned the area he took notice that there didn’t seem to be a single formal section.

“All I see are shirts and pants,” Yamaguchi whined as he shuffled through a nearby rack.

“I’ll check over here,” Kanoka called as she went to the opposite side of the small section.

It didn’t take the two long to check through every rack of clothes, and they’d both come up empty.

“Oh no! What am I going to do!” Yamaguchi groaned, rubbing his face in agony.

“Well, maybe just buy yourself a shiny new t-shirt,” Kanoka half-joked with a shrug.

Yamaguchi shot her a look that screamed ‘unhelpful’.

“How about we ask one of the workers to see if maybe we skipped over something,” Kanoka suggested next, this time a bit more serious.

Yamaguchi gave a small nod of agreeance before the two jumped back into the crowd of shoppers to locate a worker. Finding a worker was a lot easier said than done. The small shop seemed severely understaffed for the amount of shoppers, but when they finally did locate a worker the lady looked quite frazzled. 

“Suits?” the tall blond woman with a windswept ponytail squaked. “We don’t sell suits here. You’ll need to go to the next town over!”

“The next town!” Yamaguchi shouted, though it was barely noticeable over the volume of the crowd in the store. “But that’s got to be a days walk away!”

“Well, we don’t sell them here,” The woman huffed.

Yamaguchi did his best not to panic. Shimada said a more casual outfit wasn’t the end of the world. He could do with his normal clothes just fine. Despite knowing this, the lump in Yamaguchi’s throat refused to go away as he tried to fight his tears.

The shopkeeper seemed to take pity on him for she gave a very soft sigh. “Listen kid, we don’t sell formal attire here but just outside of town there’s a small flea market happening in celebration of the showcase tomorrow. Maybe you’ll find something there…”

“A flea market?” Yamaguchi echoed in a shaky voice.

“It should be starting up soon,” Kanoka hummed from beside Yamaguchi, her eye studying her tablet.

“Let’s go then!” Yamaguchi exclaimed, feeling a bit of hope return to himself. “Thanks for the tip!” he called over his shoulder to the worker as he and Kanoka made for the exit.

“Good luck, kid!” the woman called after.

It was noon by the time the two arrived at the edge of town. Yamaguchi was surprised to see that there was indeed a flea market being put on. He scanned over the multitude of stalls, surprised to find so many in such a small space. 

“Let’s start from this end and work our way down,” Kanoka suggested, guiding Yamaguchi to the first stall.

With his mind still far too jazzed up to think for himself, Yamaguchi didn’t argue, following along with Kanoka’s plan. The two perused the first few stalls only to find handcrafted accessories for both trainer and Pokemon. Though many of the items were nice to look at none were what the two were shopping for. As the two went from tent to tent, Yamaguchi did his best to not show the panic he currently felt.

The next few isles of tents were none too different. Some sold more accessories while others sold items for the house. There was even one popular stand that displayed handcrafted furniture. The whole flea market was indeed a delight but Yamaguchi was unable to fully enjoy it with the current panic he felt.

Yamaguchi would often catch himself whispering thing such as “I still need to review the routine once more. I don’t have time for this.” As well as “How could I be so stupid!” as he went through waves of frustration at himself and barely controlled panic. 

“I’m sure you’ll find something!” Kanoka would calmly insist whenever Yamaguchi became flustered.

A good hour had passed by the time two had near reached the end of the market. Yamaguchi felt utterly defeated. They hadn’t come across a single costume that would work for the showcase. Most of the clothes they’d found were just old outfits people were looking to make a buck off of, but nothing that would work for a showcase costume. It was when the duo came across the second to last stall that a flame of hope welled up in Yamaguchi’s chest.

It was a small tent with a few nice looking suits and dresses displayed just outside of it. Without much thought, Yamaguchi rushed to the tent. His eyes lingered on a dazzling emerald green suit that glittered under the late noon sun. It was far too flashy for his taste, but something about it spoke to him. He knew he’d look like a star on the stage in something that shiny. He just hoped they had something in his size.

“E-Excuse m-me!” Yamaguchi sputtered as he and Kanoka entered the tent.

“Hello there,” Greeted an older woman from the back of the ten, who was currently stitching away at a frilly pink dress. “How can I help you?” She asked, standing and addressing the two.

“I was w-wondering if maybe you h-had some suits?” Yamaguchi asking in a shaky voice, his nerves still far too on edge. He knew the question must have sounded silly for the woman sent him a peculiar smile.

“Yeah, we have suits,” she replied with a cocky half smile as her eyes landed on a rather dashing kids tuxedo that hung directly next to Yamaguchi.

Kanoka muffled a frustrated sigh at the woman’s sass as Yamaguchi’s cheeks went bright pink.

“What I mean is a suit for myself,” Yamaguchi clarified quickly as he tried to stay at least somewhat confident.

“A suit for you…” The woman hummed as she examined him from head to toe. “Well, you’re kind of tall,” She said more to herself then the two shoppers.

“Anything would do honestly,” Yamaguchi prompted in much hope.

“Let me see what I have in the back,” She sighed, her tone doubtful.

Yamaguchi gave a small whine as she disappeared behind a curtain to the back of the small tent. He hoped to god that she had at least something.

Full of nerves, Yamaguchi quietly looked around the small tent. He felt his heart sink as he came to realize that much of the merchandise looked far too small for him. Kanoka must have had the same thought for she whispered: “A lot of these dresses seem to be for kids…”

“Sorry, kid, but I’m afraid I don’t have anything in your size with me,” The woman said as she returned from the back. “I have some items that might fit you back at my workshop.”

“Is your workshop near here?” Yamaguchi asked, his tone full of hope.

The woman frowned as she shook her head ‘no’.

“How soon do you need your suit by?” she asked, her tone a bit solemn at coming up empty-handed.

“Tomorrow,” Yamaguchi groaned, knowing there was most likely nothing this woman could do to help him.

“Well, I’m afraid I can’t help you then,” the woman replied with a sorry shake of her head. “But good luck finding your suit.”

Yamaguchi felt his flame of hope blow out. How could this have happened. With all these tents and not a single one sold a suit in his size. He gave a forced smile as he thanked the woman for her help. With all hope lost, he led Kanoka back to their hotel.

“Oh, Yamaguchi, I’m so sorry we couldn’t find anything,” Kanoka had consoled on their walk back. “But it’s not a total loss. You don’t need a fancy outfit to perform.”

“R-Right,” Yamaguchi had replied in a very broken voice. He had put so much preparation into this showcase performance. He couldn't help but hate himself at the moment. He had put so much time and effort into his routine and, as always, fumbled it all up because he was too stupid to get everything right.

The rest of the walk home was quiet. Yamaguchi refused to speak in fear that he might cry, and Kanoka picked up on his mood very easily. Once at the hotel, Kanoka excused herself to her room to allow Yamaguchi some time alone to unwind. 

Yamaguchi dragged himself into the elevator, down the long hall, and to his room. He was surprised to find the room empty and void of any Pokemon or of Tsukki. He felt disappointed to find it in such a state, wanting nothing more than to be beside his best friend.

With a pained groan, Yamaguchi kicked off his shoes and face planted on his bed. He nuzzled his pillow for a moment as tears began to spill from his eyes. He knew he wasn’t disqualified from the showcase, but that didn’t make him feel any better about this big mishap. He had really let himself down and into so, let his team down.

He glanced over at the clock to find that it read 2:00pm. He needed to get up and practice before the day ended, but he knew in his current state he was going to be nothing but useless to Popplio. She deserved better than his sorry ass. Deciding he did need a good moment to calm down, he set the alarm on the clock for 4pm, promising to himself to dedicate the evening to practice. He then lay back down in bed and practiced the breathing exercises Shimada had taught him. With each breath out, he calmed down more and more before he was relaxed enough that he fell into a dreamless nap.

It was the sound of the door closing and a happy cry from Eevee that awoke Yamaguchi. The small shiny puffball lept from Tsukki’s arms and nuzzled close to her beloved trainer. Yamaguchi gave a small start before allowing Eevee down his shirt. The baby Pokemon burrowed deep, snuggling close to Yamaguchi. The warmth and softness of her fur brought a bit of joy to his misery. 

“I take it you didn’t find anything?” Tsukishima mumbled as Yamaguchi heard him shuffle across the room and sit at the foot of the bed.

Yamaguchi groaned in reply as he rubbed his face with his hands. 

“Are you just going to sit here all afternoon and feel sorry for yourself?” Tsukishima dryly asked.

“No!” Yamaguchi shortly replied as he removed his hands and glared at his friend.

Tsukishima merely smiled at him with one of his cocky smiles, but as always his eyes carried a softness he saved only for Yamaguchi. “Good, because a package came in for you,” Tsukishima hummed, tossing a large brown box onto Yamaguchi’s legs.

Very confused, Yamaguchi sat up, pulling the box into his lap. Eevee made a small squeak of protest as her position on Yamaguchi’s chest altered. Yamaguchi ignored the grumbles of his beloved Eevee as he eyes the package.

“But… who?” Yamaguchi barely got out as he was still caught quite off guard.

“Open it up and find out,” Tsukishima shrugged smugly.

Yamaguchi gave him a playful grimace before returning his attention to the package. He only hesitated a moment before peeling the tape off the box. With his breath held, he opened the lid to the boy to find a layer of very nearly folded tissue paper. He looked from the content to Tsukki. Tsukishima fought a smile as he motioned for Yamaguchi to carry on. Yamaguchi quickly returned his attention to the aforementioned paper. With a shaky hand, he peeled the paper back to reveal a very stunning light blue suit top whose buttons were adorned with shining crystal gemstones. Pinned into the collar was a small note.

With disbelieving shaking hands, Yamaguchi pulled the note from the corner and saw that it read. “Just in case - Shimada”

It didn’t take long for Yamaguchi’s gaping mouth to form into a bright smile. He plucked the suit top from the box to find a matching blue vest with matching gemstone buttons. Under the vest he found a pair of matching pants and under those was a soft white button up shirt with a sparkling blue bow tie. As Yamaguchi examined each piece of clothing he was surprised to also find a pair of shining white dress shoes.

“Why don’t you try it on,” Tsukishima suggested doing his best to sound disinterested.

Without a word, and forgetting about Eevee, Yamaguchi sprang from the bed. Eevee tumbled out of his shirt and onto the bed in a surprised heap. She sent her trainer and very disbelieving look before making herself comfortable beside Tsukki.

“Sorry, Eevee,” Yamaguchi mumbled as he scooped up his prize and headed for the bathroom.

It didn’t take him long to change and, to his surprise once again, the suit fit like a glove. It was neither too long nor too short in any place. As he looked himself over in the bathroom mirror, he felt like a million Pokedollars.

“But, how?” Yamaguchi sputtered in utter disbelief as he stumbled out of the bathroom in his new get up.

“Who cares how?” Tsukishima replied dryly as he examined Yamaguchi. 

“Well, how do I look,” Yamaguchi asked, striking a pose.

“You look great, I guess,” Tsukishima complimented as he failed to hide the pink in his cheeks.

“You think so?” Yamaguchi asked as he examined his arms and legs once more. “I just can’t believe how well it fits. How did Shimada know my size!?”

“He’s your mentor. I guess and they just know these things?” Tsukishima shrugged.

“I don’t recall ever telling him it myself though,” Yamaguchi hummed as he tried to recall if he had.

“Well, now that that catastrophe has been averted, shouldn’t you be focusing on practice?” Tsukishima cut in with a mocking hum.

“Right! Practice!” Yamaguchi almost shouted as he looked to the clock to see that it was only 3:00pm. “Plenty of time!” Yamaguchi said as he skipped into the bathroom to remove his new suit.

Tsukishima allowed himself to smile as he watched his friend skip away. Eevee looked up to him with a questioning purr. Tsukishima patted her head gently to reassure the baby Pokemon. “Remember, it’s our secret,” he whispered as Eevee snuggled up close to him once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well now. I wonder if Shimada really knew Yamaguchi’s size all on his own. It’s a good thing the suite came but we all must agree that Yamaguchi would be great no matter what he wore. Now all we have to do is wait and see if Yama is really ready for his first showcase. Shine like the star you are, Yama <3
> 
> I am having internet troubles but will do my best to get a chapter up next weekend. If all goes according to plan than I should. I will also get back to everyone's reviews and comments once I have stable internet once more.
> 
> As always, thank you all so much for the kudoes, follows, bookmarks, review and likes. You don’t know how much joy it brings me when a day is crap and I see a reply on this fic. It really gets be excited to come home and write. If you have time after reading please do drop on down and leave a comment or review. 
> 
> Well, that is all for this week. See you all next chapter.


	26. Yama’s First Showcase: Round 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all are ready for the show case because here it is! Let’s see if our Yama really is ready for his debut or not.
> 
> As always I want to thank my current beta reader. They go by the name of Killer_Squids and can be found on AO3 here (https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killer_Squids). They can also be found on tumblr under the name land-banana. They have done a wonderful job with betaing for me so if you have time please give there page a look
> 
> Let’s all cheer on Yamaguchi!

Yamaguchi could feel his pulse in his throat as he walked alongside Tsukishima to the castle where the showcase was due to take place. He had woken up that morning with barely enough time to slap himself together. He wore his normal clothes to the showcase for he had been advised by Shimada the night before to change in the provided locker rooms backstage so as to make sure he was as clean cut and fresh as could be.

Yamaguchi didn’t say much as they walked. Most of what was going on around him was tuned out by his intense nerves and focus. Every step they took he would rerun the routine in his mind as well as recall the best way to pipe a perfect flower with buttercream. He knew he’d done all he could and more to prepare himself for the showcase, but he still wondered if he was really ready to face such a large crowd of people.

“You need to calm down before you dehydrate yourself from all your sweating,” Tsukishima mumbled from beside Yamaguchi.

“S-Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi replied habitually.

“You are so ready for this,” Kanoka added with cheer. “You’ve been practicing nonstop for days!”

“It’s not the routine I’m worried about,” Yamaguchi admitted aloud. “With all those eyes on me. I’ve never been good being the center of attention.”

“And yet, you still decided to go with showcases,” Tsukishima sassed, giving Yamaguchi’s shoulder a soft bump. Yamaguchi sent him a small pout.

“Ya know, I heard that with lighting it’s hard to really see the crowds from the stage… not that I’ve ever been on one,” Kanoka said, trying to console him.

“Well, I hope it washes out the whole crowd or I might just vomit,” Yamaguchi burped as he put a hand to his mouth.

“Yamaguchi!” Tsukishima sighed stepping aside to not get vomited on. Fortunately for both him and Yamaguchi, the nauseousness passed before any vomiting occurred.

Once at the castle, the three trainers had to split up. Only being able to take his clothes and the Pokemon registered for the contest, Yamaguchi passed off his belongings to Tsukishima and Kanoka.

“It’d be great if you could get Eevee to watch while Swirlix, Popplio and I perform,” Yamaguchi said as he passed Eevee off to Tsukki. “I’d like for her to get an understanding of showcases.”

“You got it, boss,” Tsukishima mumbled, gently cradling Eevee. 

Yamaguchi sent him a look before carrying on with his instructions. “Then again, if she gets fussy and just wants to nap you don’t have to force her to watch,” he gently patted Eevee as he spoke.

“Spoiled,” Tsukishima scoffed with much affection.

“Now you be good while your siblings and I win our first Key,” Yamaguchi cooed as he bid farewell to Eevee. Eevee gave a small trill of affection in reply.

“Break a leg, Yamaguchi!” Kanoka sang from beside Tsukishima. “I believe in you.”

“You have nothing to worry about,” Tsukishima quietly added, his amber eyes lingering long and hard upon his best friend.

“I promise not to let you down,” Yamaguchi replied more to Tsukki than anyone. “So please watch close when my turn comes.”

Tsukishima gave a rare soft smile and a nod.

Yamaguchi felt his heart skip a beat as he savored the rare event. “I’ll see you two after the show than,” He barely got out, turning on his heels and heading for the locker rooms.

“We believe in you!” Kanoka shouted after.

As Yamaguchi entered into the area blocked off for contestants, he was handed a small key-shaped brooch and was told to fix it to his clothes while performing. It’d be used later for when the crowd voted in the 2nd round. The golden key brooch encased what looked to be a thermometer-like device that ran down the shaft of the key and ended at the heart shaped handle. The whole thing was about half the length of his hand. Yamaguchi carefully tucked the brooch away into his bag making note to remember to put it on.

There were two sets of locker rooms, one for the male contestants and the other for the female contestants. Both rooms led into a small waiting room decorated with large flat-screen TVs that the contestants could use to watch the competition. It didn’t take Yamaguchi long to dress into his dashing blue show suit with it’s shining white shoes. He fixed the key securely to his left lapel, making sure it didn’t get in his way. Though his hair refused to cooperate, he still felt like a million bucks in the get up. 

He found himself a nice seat by a large TV as he did his best not to panic. The room was filled with about 30 other contestants, both boys and girls all ranging from around his age. Some of the girls wore beautiful gowns adorned with ribbons and shining stones while others wore most costume-like clothes that seemed to fit some sort of theme. One girl in particular, who was flanked by a Glameow and a Murkrow, wore what looked to be a witches costume. The boys in the room were also a mixed bag. Many of them wore suits, similar to Yamaguchi’s but in different colors. Other boys, much like the girls, had on themed clothes. One boy was even dressed in a Pikachu kigurumi. Perhaps Yamaguchi had been a bit extra the day before about his suit. Looking around the room, he hoped he didn’t come across as too bland.

It wasn’t long before a man with glasses entered the room. Yamaguchi recognized him as Mr. Takeda from the festival. It seemed as if many other contestants in the room recognized him as well, for everyone silenced upon his arrival.

“I want to welcome all you new contestants to the Camphrier Pokemon showcase and thank you all for participating,” Takeda stated gleefully. “As you know, the showcase is due to begin in just a short while. You will all be sorted into the groups of 5. If you are placed in group one you will be first to go on stage and perform in the first round. After that group is done than the second group will go, then the third, and so on and so forth,” Takeda carefully explained.

Yamaguchi hoped with all his heart to be sorted into a group that wasn’t first or last.

“For this first event, you will all be judged by a panel of judges including myself. I am going to tell you now what the objective for the first round is,” Takeda carried on in his explanation. His eyes were now more serious and sharp. “You are all expected to create one-dozen Pokepuffs in 40 mins. You must incorporate the Tamato Berry as a main ingredient of your Puffs. Remember that you are going to be judged on both flavor and decoration,” He paused for what Yamaguchi assumed was dramatic effect. “Also, keep in mind that only one contestant from each group will move onto the next round.”

It was in that moment Yamaguchi felt all sorts of knots in his stomach. If he didn’t pass the first round, he wouldn’t even be able to perform the routine he and Popplio worked so hard at. Not only that but he wouldn’t be able to show Tsukki just how much he had grown since that gym battle. Yamaguchi believed in his baking abilities, but that didn’t mean he’d win. For all he knew, every last person in the room could be top bakers as well.

He scanned the room to find a variety of emotions on all the other contestants’ faces. Some looked just as terrified, if not more, as Yamaguchi. A few looked contemplative while others looked excited. He hated to admit it but it was nice to know he wasn’t the only one on the verge of shitting his pants. But he had to focus on the matter at hand. What was he going to make today? Fortunately for Yamaguchi, Pokepuffs were not a stranger to him.

Takeda than bid the group a short farewell before a few stagehands instructed the contestants to turn their attention to a large screen at the front of the room. On the screen were 5 rows each numbered ‘Group 1’ to ‘Group 5’. The screen flashed once and a picture of the contestant's faces and their names appeared on the screen. Yamaguchi quickly scanned to see that he had been placed in group 4. He released a sigh of relief. This would give him plenty of time to decide on his recipe for round 1.

Another 20 minutes passed before the TV’s in the room, aside from the one showing the groups, flickered on to revealed Takeda standing on the stage they’d all soon be performing on. Yamaguchi’s eyes fixed on the closest TV as Takeda hyped up the crowd. He had called both Swirlix and Popplio out so that they too could see the start of the contest with him.

“We’re definitely going to win this!” Yamaguchi declared in determination to both Popplio and Swirlix. The two faithful Pokemon cheered in agreement.

It wasn’t long before the first round of contestants were gathered and lead onto the stage. There were six kitchenettes set up in two rows of three with just enough room for the contestants to work their magic. Yamaguchi only half paid attention as round one started and ended for group one. He only really paid attention during the judging where a creepy trainer with red hair and a terrifying stare won the match alongside his Haunter. He was able to catch the trainer’s name, Tendō Satori, and made an effort not the make eye contact with Tendō when he arrived back in the room.

The next two rounds passed in a very similar fashion. Six trainers would leave and only one would return. The pressure started to build up in Yamaguchi as round two came to a close. His heart knew he was ready for this but his mind kept questioning if he really was. 

“Okay group 4, it’s your turn to get up on stage,” a stagehand called from the door.

Doing his best to remain calm, Yamaguchi recalled Popplio back into her ball and picked Swirlix up. “Let’s show them what we are made of,” Yamaguchi whispered into Swirlix’s ear. 

The cotton candy pokemon growled in agreement.

Yamaguchi, along with the six contestants in his group were lead onto the stage. Each had been assigned a space, and to Yamaguchi’s horror, he’d been placed front and center. He had hoped for the second row behind. Though he wanted to ignore the crowd, he could not help but look out over the auditorium. 

Kanoka was right. The light on the stage really did wash out the crowd for the most part but he was able to make out the tiers of seats in the back as well as the balcony seats that looked down upon the contestants. There had to be over five-hundred people in the room, watching them. For a moment he thought of Tsukki. He was somewhere in the sea of people watching him. He scanned the crowd one more but could not make out any faces. He wondered where Tsukki sat. Was he close up or in the balcony. He calmed as these thought’s of Tsukki filled his mind.

“Contestants! Are you ready?” Takeda asked, his voice booming through the room drawing everyone attention. “You have 40 minutes to created your very best Pokepuff using Tomato Berries as a main ingredient!”

With a determined nod, Yamaguchi readied himself. He tied the provided apron around his waist and he gave Swirlix a small nod.

“On, your marks… Get set… BAKE!” Takeda shouted as the crowd erupted into a cheer.

Yamaguchi and Swirix jumped into the immediate action. They both made their way to the back of the stage where a pantry of any ingredient they could think of sat. Tripping around the other contestants, Yamaguchi, with the help of Swirlix’s keen nose, were able to collect all the ingredients needed in record time. Being the first back at their station, Yamaguchi gave himself a small pat on the back.

“And it looks like first-time contestant Yamaguchi Tadashi has decided to go with what looks like a chocolate-themed Puff!” Takeda announced as Yamaguchi organized his ingredients on his counter space.

Takeda was right, as Yamaguchi had decided to go with an old family recipe that he’d been making with his mother and grandmother since he was small. Their famous decadent chocolate Pokepuff. The perfect treat to be paired with the spicy tomato berry. 

He and Swirlix got to work, preparing the ingredients and mixing them together with expert precision. They would do a step in the recipe, tase and edit if needed. With Swirlix’s nose and tongue, they were bound to have the most scrumptious Puffs in the group. He was in the zone and able to drown out everything around him. Yamaguchi didn’t bother to look up from his station for he knew if he did he would encounter stage fright.

With his puff batter in the oven, he and Swirlix got to making the milk chocolate buttercream. The frosting has to be just right or his decorations were sure to fail. He could feel the pressure from all around. If his puffs didn’t come out in time than they would not cool in time and his frosting would melt off the top. He had to be sure his decorations were on point this time.

Every now and then he would check the puff to see if they were done and with only 20 minutes left on the clock they’d finally risen enough to come out. He felt his stomach do an odd flip as he tossed them into the small freezer under his counter. He had to get them cool enough or he wouldn’t have enough time to decorate.

“Okay Swirlix, just one more step and we can decorate,” Yamaguchi instructed as he handed a freshly made bowl of vanilla buttercream to his partner Pokemon. “You mix in the red and I’ll do the yellow for this one.

The two worked in unison as they made a variety of different colored of vanilla buttercream ranging from red all the way to purple. Once done with the mixing Yamaguchi looked to the clock to find that they had just over 10 minutes to decorate. He tried to fight his panic.

His limbs shaky with nerves, he juggled his tray of puffs out of the fridge and turned them out onto the table. He sighed in relief when none of them stuck to the pan.

“Let’s decorate!” He declared as he passed a piping bag of chocolate frosting to Swirlix. The two worked in tandem to top each Puff with a swirl of chocolate frosting. They worked in precision making sure each swirl of frosting was just as precise and identical as the last.

It took them less than 5 Minutes to top off the puffs.

With his hands shaking he got to the decorating bit of the challenge. On each puff, he piped the most delicate of colored buttercream flowers as he could. He had spent weeks working on his piping skills, and it all added up to this moment. Each flower he piped was inspired by the flowers that grew back at home in Alola. As he piped his way through each puff, Swirlix would gently place them onto the serving tray.

As he frantically piped the last Puff the crow began to count down from ten. His heart almost jumped from his throat as he threw the last puff onto the tray with only 2 seconds to spare. Yamaguchi's was covered in sweat and vaguely aware that his face was smudged with globs of buttercream. He was pleased to see that his suit had made it out clean thanks to him rolling up his sleeves.

His eyes then wandered to his tray of 12 puffs. They were all uniform and it looked as if he was looking upon a small bed of freshly bloomed flowers. He felt pride well up in his chest. These flowers were a million times better than the ones he had made at the festival weeks ago. They were flowers he could be proud of.

“Now, contestants, let me introduce you to your three judges,” Takeda sang as two men and a lady made their way onto the stage. “Our first judge here is the local Nurse Joy and her Audino.”

“Hello contestants, all your Puffs look mighty delicious,” Nurse Joy greeted as her Audino gave a cheerful trill.

“Your second Judge is the curator of the lovely castle,” Takeda announced as an old man and a Honedge walked onto the stage. 

“I am very excited to try your creations,” the old man wheezed joyfully.

“Your final judge for today is the chairman of the Pokemon Club,” Takeda a as he motion to a balled man with a bushy mustache. In his arms he held a small Pichu who looked more than excited to get eating.

The three judges and their Pokemon sampled each contestant starting from the back. Yamaguchi heard comments such ranging from “Oh my, how pretty” to “It’s a bit dry and I can’t taste the Tomato Berry”. As the judges moved down the line, Yamaguchi looked out over the crowd. He scanned for Tsukki once more but really could not make out any details of the faces looking back. It wasn’t long before the judges rounded on Yamauchi’s workstation.

“Yamaguchi is it?” Takeda greeted. “I remember you from the festival.”

“I-It’s good to see you again,” Yamaguchi greeted with a very ridged bow.

“I’ll be happy to let Sugawara know one of his favorites from the festival has finally debuted,” Takade gave a soft smile as he spoke. “And it looks like your decoration skills have greatly increased.”

“Oh my, It’s almost like I’m looking at real flowers,” Nurse Joy sighed.

“They are all quite uniform, too,” the curator wheezed. “Almost too pretty to eat.”

“Such delicate piping work shows how much care was placed into each pokepudd,” the club president added as his Pichu gave a happy squeak.

Once again Yamaguchi felt pride fill his chest. He did his best not to tear up too much from the joy he felt. This feeling of accomplishment was still so new to him.

“Shall we dig in, then?” The Curator asked, looking to the other two judges.

Each judge and their Pokemon took a Puff to try. Yamaguchi watched with bated breath as they all took large bites from his Puffs. All three Pokemon seemed to melt in joy upon their first bite. The anxiety in his chest melted away as Audino gave a small cry of joy before taking another bite.

“Oh my, these are quite delicious,” Nurse Joy swooned. “So decadent, even my Audino is getting lost in the flavors.”

“Yes, it’s quite moist, and the spice from the Tomato Berry really shines through,” The Curator said with a knowing nod. “It really is quite the treat.”

“It seems I can’t find a single flaw with this Puff,” The Club President said, almost on the brink of tears. “Truly the best Puff we’ve had all day.”

“Th-Thank you!” Yamaguchi barely got out. For the first time in his whole life, he felt like he was sure to win. All his nerves were gone and he felt nothing but confidence in himself, his Pokemon, and the Pokepuffs they had worked hard to make.

“You and Swirlix did a fantastic job. You should both be proud,” Takeda praised.

Yamaguchi smile was as bright as the sun as he gave Swirlix a proud pat on the head. “I really couldn’t have done it without her.”

With that, the judges move to the next table. Yamaguchi’s eyes followed them and saw that the last contestant was a girl who looked horrified to be judged after Yamaguchi. He felt bad for the girl but at the same time an odd sense of pride filled his chesr. No one had ever feared Yamaguchi as an opponent. The feeling was something new and he sort of liked it.

Once done with the last contestant, whose puffs were underbaked, the judges took their seats as Takeda took center stage.

“We will now announce the winner of group 4,” Takeda announced.

Yamaguchi felt his heart give a fluttery beat from within his chest.

“It was a unanimous decision that Yamaguchi Tadashi is the winner of this round!” Takeda announced as the stage when dark except for a bright spotlight that shone done directly on Yamaguchi and Swirlix.

The crow roared with applause. Yamaguchi’s body went numb as the moment sunk in. He had won. He had made it to round two! He and Swirlix had done it. Swirlix gave a shall cry of joy that snapped Yamaguchi back to the moment.

With a whoop of joy Yamaguchi scooped Swirlix up and gave her the largest hug he had ever given anyone.

“We did it! We made it to round 2!” Yamaguchi sang in utter glee. For the first time ever, he hadn’t failed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Out Yama made it through round one with flying colors. I knew he could do it. Let’s see if he is able to keep the momentum going through round two now. Show us all the work you’ve been doing for your performance Yama! I believe in you!!!
> 
> So I should be getting the next chapter up in time by next weekend. Once March rolls around my upload schedule may go a bit wonky since I am going to be making a move. I will do my best in March and April to keep my uploads as consistent as I can but it may fall to a every other week upload until I get settled in at my new place.
> 
> As always, thank you all for such wonderful comments and and reviews. I if you have a moment feel free to go on down and leave a comment letting me know what you think of this chapter and the story as a whole. I love to hear from my readers more than anything. I also want to think people for leaving kudos, following me and bookmarking the story. I love to know that people are enjoying it.
> 
> Well, that is all for now. See you all next chapter!


	27. Yama’s First Showcase: Round 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! It’s time for Yama to show us his fancy footwork!! I hope our Yama performs well!!!
> 
> Sorry this chapter is a bit late. Life happens, what can I say ^_^;
> 
> I’d like to think my substitute beta reader heichousheadphones (https://heichousheadphones.tumblr.com/) for taking time from their busy day to help me with my horrible grammar. They really came through this weekend last minute to get this bad boy beta read. Let’s all thank them <3
> 
> Now, on to round two!!!

With his step as light as ever, Yamaguchi headed back to the waiting room. He did his best to hide his joy as he entered the small room. The other winning contestants paid him little mind as the last group passed by him for their turn at round 1.

Yamaguchi re-took his seat from before as he did his best to not overdo it with his excitement. He had really made it to round 2. He hadn’t messed up. He was indeed on his way to becoming a winner.

“Oh Swirlix, you were amazing,” Yamaguchi praised as he plucked one of his left over puffs from a box and handed it off to the cotton candy Pokemon. “Here, you deserve it!”

Swirlix gave a cry of joy as she snatched the Puff from his hands and dug in. With a bright smile, Yamaguchi watched her munch away, taking little notice when another contestant approached him. 

“Well now, what do we have here?” Came a very mocking humm. Yamaguchi looked from Swirlix to find that Tendō was glaring down upon him. The trainers half lidded murderous eyes sent a shiver down Yamaguchi’s spin.

A bit shaken by the sudden arrival of the trainer, Yamaguchi sat in stunned silence. 

Tendō, without breaking eye contact with Yamaguchi, reached down, took a puff from Yamaguchi’s box and bit into it. His eye thinned as they glared down upon Yamaguchi. They then widened almost in surprise.

Yamaguchi wondered why he always drew such negative attention from others. He didn’t like the calculating way Tendō looked at him.

Tendō took another large bite from the puff before passing it off to his Haunter. The haunter gave a cry of joy as it ate the chocolate treat. Unlike it’s trainer, Haunter didn’t hid it’s joy as it downed the Puff in one go.

“Lucky break, newbie!” Tendō sneered, his face shadowing his eyes in such a way that Yamaguchi felt as if he were being stared down by a predator. “Don’t cry too hard when I crush you and your stupid little routine in round 2!” he growled as he got into Yamaguchi’s face.

Yamaguchi released a loud yelp as he flinched away. Any sort of joy he had felt had now been replaced with pure horror. Was this Tendō guy going to beat him up? They hadn’t even been in the same group!

“Hahaha! Just as I thought!” Tendō now mocked, backing off of Yamaguchi. “Another scaredy-skitty!” He sneered before sauntered off to the other side of the room and reclaiming his seat, not paying Yamaguchi any mind.

Yamaguchi was horrified. What was that trainer’s problem! Yamaguchi hadn’t said a damn word to the guy and he was all aggressive like that. He looked around the room to find that the other two remaining contestants looked utterly relieved to not be Yamaguchi right now.

Yamaguchi gave his head a shake. He couldn’t let Tendō and the others get into his head. He had won the last round and he was going to give it his all for round 2. With a small slap to his face he did all he could to regroup himself. 

Before long Yamaguchi recalled Swirlix to her ball and summoned Popplio out.

“Okay. Popplio! We made it to round two!” Yamaguchi explained with a cheer.

Popplio gave a bark of joy as she released a few small bubbles.

“If we focus I know we can win this, Popplio!” Yamaguchi said as he scooped Popplio into his arms. “I believe in you! I believe in us!” He whispered as he gave her a hug.

Once the final round of round one ended, the winning contestants made their way back into the waiting room, followed closely by Takeda.

“Okay, contestants, I am proud to say that you five are the only ones left and are moving on to round two! Congratulations,” Takeda started off with much joy. “Now, in round two you will not just be judged by the panel of judges but also anyone watching so do your best to show as much appeal as you can!” Takeda cheered in such a way that everyone was pumped. “You will each go on stage in the order of your group number. You will perform your routine and once you are done you will return to this room. Once everyone has performed we will all head back up onto the stage for the voting!” 

Yamaguchi felt his stomach do a flip as he listened to Takeda’s explanation. He was ready now more than ever to show the world what he and his team were made of. Despite what Tendō said, Yamaguchi was not going to falter. Not this time.

Yamaguchi focused himself once more as Takeda left the room. He needed to stay calm. He needed to hold on to the confidence round one had given him. 

Tendō was the first contestant to go. Yamaguchi watched from the TV as Tendō and his creepy Yamask gave a hunting performance. Of course Tendō had to have a Yamask. From the TV the routine looked quite cool but it must have been amazing to watch live judging by the reception of the audience. When Tendō returned he sent Yamaguchi a calculated glare but did not bother to talk with him. Yamaguchi all the while tried to ignore the red eyes of Tendō’s Yamask.

The other two contestants went in a similar fashion. One girl and her Jigglypuff performed a very relaxing dance and song that Yamaguchi was certain put the crowd to sleep. He couldn't tell if it was intentional or not but the girl and her Jigglypuff looked quite proud when they entered the waiting room. The next contestant was an older girl and her Vaporeon who put on a water show that rivaled the most beautiful of water fixtures. Yamaguchi felt his stomach do a flip for he too had a water themed routine.

Before he knew it, Yamaguchi was being led out onto the stage. His heart was beating hard against his chest. It felt as if it was going to burst through his ribcage at any moment. Round one had been baking, something he was very accustomed to but the next round was different. It was his first time ever performing in front of anyone ever.

He swallowed his fears as best he could as he and Popplio took center stage. The lights were dimmed as he and Popplio took their places. He just had to focus. The routine was second nature to them both. They just needed to go with the flow of the music and they wouldn’t have to worry.

With a sudden click, a light shone down upon Yamaguchi and Popplio. Yamaguchi's heart dropped into his stomach as he looked out into the darkness of the theater knowing there were thousands watching just him and Popplio.

“Presenting the next contestant, Yamaguchi Tadashi!” Takeda’s voice rang out through the large theater.

Yamaguchi did his best to pull his heart from his stomach as the room erupted into cheers. A second later their music began and somehow both he and Popplio began their routine.

Popplio shot spurts of water at Yamaguchi danced around her. An upbeat Island song filled the theater as the two moved in tandem. Yamaguchi wanted to bring a bit of Alola to everyone in the crowd. He wanted to show them the calming waves and the soothing beaches he had grown up around and loved.

Popplio's Watergun turned into an Aquajet as she whirled around Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi did his best to dance in such a way that he reminisce an elegant diver. Their moves must have worked for the crowd ‘oohed’ and ‘awed’ at their movements. As Popplio swirled around she released several small bubbles that filled the seats, acting as sea foam.

The crowd cheered as Popplio finished of her Aquajet landing quite perfectly on Yamaguchi’s shoulders. The act filled Yamaguchi with the power he needed for their last show stopping move. With his Waterium Z crystal secure on his wrist, he and Popplio began their synchronised dance. With their arms mimicking the waves of the sea, the two summoned up all the power they could.

As the crystal became fully charged, Popplio released a large Hydro Vortex that surrounded both her and Yamaguchi. The spout of water reached all the way to the cleaning. The crowd gasped and awed as Yamaguchi and Popplio disappeared from within it. With only a few moment time Popplio and Yamaguchi worked fast so they could stick their finishing move. The crowd gasped once more as the tornado of water broke showering them in drip drops of water. Many pointed to the stage to find that Yamaguchi and Popplio were nowhere to be seen.

It was only when they looked up did they notice that both Popplio and Yamaguchi were safe within one of Popplio’s large bubbles. The bubble was accompanied by several smaller bubbles gracefully, all of which were floated back down, popping just in time for the song to stop.

Yamaguchi and Popplio stuck their landings center stage. They both gave a deep bow as the room erupted into the loudest cheers of the day. Yamaguchi once more felt a rush of pure pride as he stood center stage. He and Popplio than shared a large hug as the crowd cheered once more.

“Oh my, what a show!” Takeda cried into the microphone. “I mean that is the sort of thing we all come here to see, am I right?”

Even if he didn’t win the key, Yamaguchi felt as if he and Popplio were still walking away today winners in their own right. With the crow still hyped, trainer and Pokemon exited the stage.

When entering the room, Yamaguchi ignored the galres from Tendō and the agape stares of the other contestants as he made himself comfortable in his seat.

“That was the best yet, Popplio!” Yamaguchi praised as he held her close. “You were just amazing!”

Popplio barked in pure joy as she nuzzled close to her trainer. 

“Get a room, you two!” Tendō sneered from the other side of the room. Yamaguchi ignored his taunt.

As he waited for the other contestants to finish, he rewarded Popplio a job well done with one of the leftover Pokepuffs of his. The wait wasn’t long and when the last contestant entered the room the group of five was asked to wait for just a bit before the winner was to be announced.

Yamaguchi could not believe it. Never in a million years did he think he'd make it all the way through the second round so smoothly. He didn’t trip once in round one or two, he only fumbled a few things while baking and he and Popplio had performed their best routine yet. This was like a dream and every now and then he worried he’d wake to find himself in the hotel room.

After about 15 minutes Takeda entered back into the room. He had a large excited smile upon his face as he addressed the contestants. “The time has come for the voting!” he announced with much joy and excitement. “In case you don’t know, both the audience here and the viewers at home are able to vote for their favorite contestant today,” Takeda explained dutifully, his tone still quite giddy with excitement. “With each vote you receive your gauge on your pendant will fill up with light. Whoever’s pendant lights up the furthest is the winner of the competition. Each of you will be assigned a color. The bottom of your pendent should glow that color in 3, 2 ,1,” and on one he pushed a button and each contestant pendant glowed a different color.

Yamaguchi looked down to find his pendant glowing a striking gold that reminded Yamaguchi of Tsukki’s eyes. He could not help but take this as a good sign.

Takeda then led the contestants up on to the stage. The curtain was drawn and the contestants were told where they had to stand. They stood alongside their two competing Pokemon in the order they performed in. Yamaguchi was much relieved for he’d rather stay as far away from Tendō’s Yamask as he could.

With a loud roar, the curtains were pulled back and the contestants were revealed to the audience. Not a second later a spotlight matching the color of each contestants pendant shown down on each individually. Yamaguchi’s spotlight was a beautiful amber color that really enhanced the gems that shown on his suit.

The crowd cheered once more as Takeda addressed them all openly.

“Yes, it is time for the vote,” Takeda began with a large arm sweep. “To the audience and viewers at home you may use your controller to cast your vote. Each colored button on your controller corresponds with a contestant standing here on stage. Whatever button you click first will cast a vote to the contestant so push wisely!” he said with a wink. “You may start your voting now.”

Yamaguchi went quite stiff as he did his best to smile for the crowd. He hoped the people viewing his performance liked it as much as it felt wonderful to perform. Yamaguchi wasn’t given much time to worry over this for Takeda spoke up once more.

“All right, the votes are in so let’s see who this years winner of the Camphrier Town Showcase is, ladies and gentlemen,” Takeda announced, as he clicked a button. 

Upon clicking the button a hologram of a key that resembled the broaches each contestant wore appeared above each one. Yamaguchi’s key hollowgram glowed a beautiful amber. He looked up and admired with much awe only to realize he was the only contestant to do so. His cheeks went a bight pink as he heard Tendō stifle a laugh. He straightened up doing his best to swallow his embarrassment. 

“If a contestant gauge finished filling before the other’s their spotlight will go out,” Takeda explained to both the crowd and contestants. “The last person with their spotlight still on them has been voted the winner! Now, let’s tally those votes,” He cheered as he pushed another button on his controller.

Yamaguchi’s body went tense as he laced his fingers and prayed for victory. Popplio and Swirlix followed in similar suit just as worried as their trainer. Bright glowing lights of multiple colors rose up from the crow and floated towards the contestant of whose color they matched. Yamaguchi watched in awe as several amber orbs floated from the crowd into the pendent on his lapel. Both the gauge on his lapel and the hologram above him began to fill with an amber light. It filled in the similar to the way a thermometer fills.

Yamaguchi gave a small jump as two spotlights went out beside him. Both contestants bursted into tears. He looked back to the crow to see even more amber light coming his way. Form what he could tell there were more amber light than any other color. The lights floated to his chest and disappeared into his pendent. He held himself more open now as they did so.

One more spotlight went out and Yamaguchi looked over to find that Tendō was the only one left other than himself. The other trainer shot Yamaguchi a glare before snubbing him all together. Yamaguchi looked forward once more as more lights filled his gauge. With another loud lick the final spotlight clicked off and Yamaguchi was the only one left standing under a spotlight. A loud sneer could be heard from where Tendō stood but Yamaguchi barely paid it any mind.

His body went numb with disbelief. Had he really just won? The crowd erupted into applause as Yamaguchi stood stunned on the stage. He heard Takeda say something but could not make it out over the cheering of the crowd. The next thing he knew he was being lead forward into a much larger spotlight center stage. 

It was only than that Yamaguchi reacted. He scooped both Popplio and Swirlix into a large hug whispering words of thanks to them both. They had really done it! Not only had they made it through a full showcase but they had won it and it felt great.

Takeda made his way over to where Yamaguchi stood, his Klefki floating circles around his head. “Congratulations, Yamaguchi Tadashi, you have won the Camphrier Town Showcase. Let me present to you your reward,” he announced as Klefki zipped out in front. 

The small keychain Pokemon handed Yamaguchi an ornate silver key adorned with beautiful amber gems along its shaft. Its handle ended in a crescent moon shaped gem adorned with one star. Yamaguchi took the key from the small fairy type and studied it for a long moment. He had really done it. He’d won for the first time ever.

Yamaguchi than smiled down at his two Pokemon partners. “We did it, guys! We won our first key!” He cried in joy, showing it off to them. The three cheered in a very picturesque manner as the crowd cheered once more.

This was definitely one of the best days of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Yamaguchi and his team did it! They won the showcase. So proud of our soft boy! I wonder what Tsukki thought of the whole thing. How will he congratulate dear Yama? What does this win mean next for our budding protagonist? Stay tuned to find out!!!
> 
> Hey all. Once again I want to stay sorry that this chapter is out a bit late. Life happens. I should be able to get chapter 28 up and out come the weekend. Keep an eye out for it.
> 
> Thank you all again for leaving me such great feedback. I love to hear from my dear readers. Your thoughts and encouragement really fuels me to keep going with this fic. Honestly it has been hard to keep up with writing lately. My life is just super busy right now but I am hoping things calm down come April. But seeing everyone's feedback always gives me a boost to keep going! Thank you all so much <3
> 
> I am also on the look out for a part time beta reader for weeks when my current beta reader is unable to beta read. When I say part time I mean someone who would be willing to give a chapter a beta read when needed. I am not comfortable posting chapters without a beta read since I make a lot of spelling and grammar errors when I write. Having a back up would really help out a lot when things go crazy in the back end :P If you are interested feel free to message me on tumblr @pastaprincess or send me a message here. I use Google Docs to share the chapter to my beta reader so a @gmail.com email would be the best for that. Let me know if you are interested!
> 
> Well, that is all for now. I will see you all next chapter!


	28. Return of the Night Intruder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, my dear readers! Chapter 28 is here! It’s time for Yama to meet up with Tsukki and get that oh so sought after reaction from our tall blond boy.
> 
> My current beta is doing such an awesome job!!!! They go by the name of Killer_Squids and can be found on AO3 here (https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killer_Squids). They can also be found on tumblr under the name land-banana. They have done a wonderful job with betaing for me so if you have time please give there page a look.
> 
> Now, on to chapter 28!!!

Yamaguchi could not wait to see Tsukki and Kanoka. He had to know what they thought of the performance. Once he was excused off the stage he rushed to the waiting room to gather his things and quickly changed back into his street clothes. He then made his way to where the contestants were able to exit into the rest of the castle. He waited near where he, Tsukki, and Kanoka had split up before the contest. The waiting area was packed, and Tsukki nor Kanoka were anywhere to be seen so Yamaguchi waited patiently by a marble bust of some old man and his Lillipup for them to arrive.

As people passed they wished Yamaguchi warm congratulations on his win. He would reply with a shy smile and a small thank you. As people passed, he looked into the crowd of moving legs falling into a dream-like glow. His heart was happy and his mind lighter than it had been in ages. 

As he stood, he looked at nothing in particular, and it was only after a group of small children passed did Yamaguchi see it. Two red eyes resembling the ones from the night at the Pokemon center were watching him from a decorative plant on the other side of the hall. The body of the eyes was shrouded in shadow and Yamaguchi could not make out what or who it was. No one else seemed to notice the eyes. Yamaguchi blinked several times, wondering if he was seeing things. He felt an odd shiver as the unblinking eyes looking at him and only him.

He wanted to yell. But he also didn’t want to make a scene. He felt his heartbeat become heavy as he looked back at the eyes. The red eyes blinked twice, almost holding an inquisitive hint. Yamaguchi's fear started to melt into wonder as well. Perhaps it was from just winning his first showcase, but he became oddly curious about the red-eyed stalker.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Mr. Scaredy-Skitty,” Tendō sneered as he stepped in front of Yamaguchi and roughly ruffled his hair. “Congratulations!”

“Hey!” Yamaguchi spat as he ducked away from Tendō, only to find that the glowing eyes were gone. “What did you do tha-... Tendō…” Yamaguchi felt his heart drop at realizing who it was that had greeted him so roughly.

“What? Aren’t you happy to see me? You got something you want to say?” Tendō growled as he got into Yamaguchi's face. He seemed to enjoy Yamaguchi’s discomfort.

Yamaguchi shrank away as he backed into the wall. He might’ve been able to defeat Tendō on the stage, but in other forms of combat he wasn’t so sure. The older trainer looked terribly bothered and upset as he loomed over Yamaguchi.

“I don’t like losing, kid!” Tendō spat, his eyes large and crazy. “I will smash anyone who gets in my way,” as has he spoke he slammed a threatening fist upon the wall, only inchest from Yamaguchi's face.

Yamaguchi flinched but did his best to stand his ground. Betraying his efforts, his knees shook.

“Is little baby scared?” Tendō hissed with an evil smirk. He seemed to be enjoying Yamaguchi's feared response.

This wasn’t the first time Yamaguchi had been pushed against a wall by large stronger trainers. His best option was to not react and encourage further violent behavior. 

Tendō came close to Yamaguchi's ear. Yamaguchi could feel his hot breath wisp the sensitive skin of his neck. “Next time I am going to smash you into the ground,” he whispered, following it with an almost evil laugh.

It took everything in Yamaguchi not to whimper. Tendō horrified him. He was just as creepy as the Yamask from the forest, and he hated it.

“Don’t you dare touch him,” an angry voice growled and before Yamaguchi knew it Tendō was being ripped away from him by none other than Tsukki.

“T-Tsukki!” Yamaguchi gasped in relief.

Tsukishima had Tendō’s collar in his fist as he pinned him to nearby pillar. Tendō seemed both shocked and thrilled by the sudden appearance of Tsukki.

“Tsukishima!” Kanoka shouted from behind, unsure of whether to break it up or not. She held a very upset Eevee who was currently struggling to get to Yamaguchi.

“Oh my, look like the Scaredy-Skitty has a bodyguard,” Tendō teased gleefully. “I better watch my step.”

“You stay away from him!” Tsukishima warned in a deep growl. He looked as if he was ready to smack the grin right off Tendō’s face.

“Tsukki, no!” Yamaguchi cried from behind. If a fight broke out, Tsukki would get in trouble.

“If you want me to stay away from your boyfriend then you better keep him away from showcases,” Tendō shot back. He wasn’t scared of Tsukki. “Who knows what might happen to him if we are in the same contest again. It would be a shame if he were to get hurt.” Tendō grinned at Tsukishima’s glowing hot eyes. Tendō had surely just bought himself a one-way ticket to hell.

“Tsukki, stop!” Yamaguchi cried once more. He raced forward and pulled Tsukki’s arm down until Tsukki released his hold on Tendō. “It’s not worth it,” he whispered.

“If I ever see you around Yamaguchi-” Tsukishima growled, getting between Tendō and Yamaguchi. 

“What are you going to do, big boy? Hit me?” Tendō cut in with a loud laugh.

“You can get in trouble if they find out you are bullying other contestants like this,” Kanoka bravely snapped as she juggled to keep hold of Eevee.

“Oh, two bodyguards!” Tendō joked as if he were overwhelmed by Kanoka’s warning.

“We will report you!” Kanoka sharply came back.

“I didn’t do anything wrong… It’s not like I touched him or nothing!” Tendō shrugged. His horrifying eyes then landed on Yamaguchi once more. “Can’t wait to beat you into the ground next competition. I won't go so easy on you,” He sneered.

Yamaguchi did his best to stand his ground, but Tendō’s crazy eyes unsettled him on several levels causing the shaking in his knees to intensify. 

Tendō gave a small wink before turning and head off into the crows of people. Still shaken by the day as a whole, both good and bad, Yamaguchi leaned heavily upon the wall behind him. He released a heavy sigh as he tried to wrap his mind around everything.

“If that guy ever bugs you again, tell me,” Tsukishima cooly commanded as he discreetly checked over his best friend.

“T-Tsukki,” Yamaguchi sighed but smiled as he looked to his best friend. “It’s been a long day.”

“You were great up there,” Tsukishima bluntly replied.

“Congratulations on the win, by the way,” Kanoka added with a cheer before handing off Eevee to Yamaguchi.

The shiny Pokemon nuzzled her beloved trainer in the most possessive of ways. Perhaps she didn’t enjoy the way Tendō had been talking to him, or perhaps she was feeling unsettled with so many strangers about. Nonetheless, the act warmed Yamaguchi’s heart.

“Let’s get out of here.” Tsukishima grumbled, looking around at the large crowd. He then took Yamaguchi by the wrist and lead him out of the building, Kanoka following close behind.

It was much quieter outside, and Yamaguchi was able to sort out his feeling and thoughts. Despite his run-in with Tendō, he was still able to feel excited about his win. He had really won his first key! He really wasn’t such a loser after all.

Once at their hotel, Yamaguchi showed off the key to his two friends. All three sat on Yamaguchi and Tsukishima’s large bed. Eevee slept positively in Yamaguchi's lap while Swirlix and Popplio snuggled close on a nearby armchair, soaking up the late noon sun.

“Wow, it’s so cute!” Kanoka admired with a glint in her eyes. “Maybe I should start showcases too!”

“I can’t believe I won my first key at my very first showcase,” Yamaguchi said still in half disbelief. “I keep worrying it’s just a dream.”

“It’s not a dream,” Tsukishima bluntly cut in. “You won it fair and square,” he cooly spoke as his amber eyes seemed to shin with so much affection for his best friend. 

“Did….. did you really like the routine?” Yamaguchi shyly asked, his cheeks went quite pink.

“It was perfect. Your hard work shone through with every step,” Tsukishima confirmed, his tone soft and steady. It was a tone he used for only when he addressed Yamaguchi in moments such as this.

Yamaguchi felt a very happy flutter swirl up in his chest. His cheeks grew even darker from the compliment. “I’m glad you liked it,” He replied with a smile that rivaled even the most beautiful of stars. “I really wanted it to be a surprise.”

“That last move,” Kanoka cut in. “It was amazing! You should have seen both Tsukishima and Eevee. They looked like they were about ready to jump on stage and save you!” She carried on as she outed Tsukishima. 

“T-Tsukki?” Yamaguchi gasped as he tried not to smile too widely. “Were you worried for me?”

“No more risky moves like that! They are dangerous!” Tsukishima grumbled, neither confirming or denying Kanoka’s accusations. He refused to look Yamaguchi in the eye as he did so.

“Thanks, Tsukki! I appreciate how you always look out for me,” Yamaguchi carried on as he leaned towards his best friend.

“Shut up, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima grumbled, only slightly leaning away from Yamaguchi.

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi replied with a dopey grin.

All the while, Kanoka held back the urge to laugh.

It wasn’t long before the sun had set and the three trainers made their way out to the nicest restaurant in town to celebrate Yamaguchi's win. It was new for Yamaguchi, to have to many strangers congratulate him on the win, but it wasn’t unwelcome. People would wave and smile and he would give a small shy wave back and a polite thank you. There was even a moment where a small girl of about seven approached him and spoke of how amazing his performance was and how she someday wished to do something like that.

Once they made it to the restaurant, they were seated immediately and given a free appetizer with their meal to celebrate. Yamaguchi had never been rewarded free food like this before from a restaurant. Both Tsukki and Kanoka seemed delighted for Yamaguchi when he received praise from a fan, reminding him over and over how hard he had worked and how much he deserved it.

With every warm compliment received, a confident warmth bloomed more and more in Yamaguchi’s chest. This is how it felt to be a winner. It was truly an addicting sensation, and he definitely wanted to win again.

It was late by the time the three had finished dinner and headed back to their hotel. Yamaguchi was exhausted. With Eevee asleep in one arm, he struggled to stay awake as they walked.

“Am I going to have to carry you the rest of the way?” Tsukishima mumbled as he eyed his sleepy best friend. His comment won him a small giggle from said best friend.

“It really was a busy day, wasn’t it?” Kanoka hummed from the other side of Yamaguchi. “I’m definitely crashing the second we get to the hotel.”

“I second that!” Yamaguchi yawned in agreement. With the starry night shining down upon them, Yamaguchi looked forward to a calm, quiet sleep. He could finally allow himself to relax with the showcase over, and he was going to take advantage of this time until his next showcase.

Once at the hotel, the two boys and Kanoka parted ways and made plans to meet up the next day. Yamaguchi walked close to Tsukishima, using his friend as support as they made their way down the hall. Once in front of their room, they noticed something very odd. The door to their room was cracked open ever so slightly and it looked as if someone had kicked the doorknob right off.

“What the-!?” Yamaguchi gasped as they approached. For a moment a flash of Tendō and his Yamask passed in his mind sending a shiver down his spin.

Tsukishima put a hand in front of Yamaguchi, signaling for him to stay back. Yamaguchi did as he was told, holding Eevee close as he stepped back behind Tsukki. The two then listened carefully. It was faint but there was indeed a rustling in the room.

“Tsukki-” Yamaguchi began before Tsukki put a finger to his lips, motioning for him to keep quiet.

Tsukishima than plucked Salazzle’s Pokeball from his pocket and quietly summoned her. Being a smart lizard, she picked up almost right away the urgency of the situation. Tsukishima signaled for her to come closer but keep quiet.

“Yamaguchi, when I open the door you stay back,” Tsukishima commanded, shooting Yamaguchi a no-nonsense glare. 

Yamaguchi nodded in understanding, holding Eevee securely against his chest.

Pleased with Yamaguchi’s corporation, Tsukishima approached the door. He and Salazzle only hesitated a moment before swinging the door open. As the light from the hall flooded into the room the intruder was revealed. Yamaguchi peaked around Tsukki to find a very odd scene taking place right on their bed.

Sitting upon their bed on Yamaguchi’s side was a small blue Pokemon with glowing red eyes that Yamaguchi recognized immediately. The Pokemon was bipedal, with a black mask and two floppy black ears. Yamaguchi immediately identified this Pokemon as a Riolu.

The small Riolu sat stiffly on the bed, it’s shocked red eyes looking directly at Tsukki. In it’s lap was the box containing the leftover Pokepuffs Yamaguchi had made during the first round of the competition. The box’s lid sat far on the other side of the bed as if it had been arbitrarily tossed aside. As Yamaguchi looked closer, he noticed that the Riolu had chocolate buttercream smeared all over its face and forepaws. The box in it’s lap was quite empty.

Riolu’s sharp eyes went from Tsukishima and stopped on Yamaguchi. A hint of interest shone as the small Pokemon studied the freckled trainer. Yamaguchi stared back, quite shocked. Had this little Riolu been the one to steal their food and sneak in at the Pokemon center while he was sleeping?

“What the crap?” Tsukishima grumbled flipping on the light to the room. Salazzle moved quickly, slipping inside like a snake.

Almost like a switch had been flipped, the Riolu sprung from the bed onto the nearby armchair. It sent warning growl to both Tsukishima and Salazzle, the latter of which hissed back, not afraid of the small fighting type.

“Salazzle, Poison Gas!” Tsukishima swiftly commanded.

Salazzle did as she was told, but the Riolu was far too quick. The small Pokemon dodged the attack, then charged Salazzle. It made to punch the black lizard but at the last moment jumped clear over Salazzle and toward the door.

Tsukishima gave a frustrated grunt as he tried not to lose sight of the blue blur. 

As Riolu ran from the room Yamaguchi yelped, jumping aside. The small Riolu stopped only for a moment to gaze upon the startled Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi held Eevee close as he returned Riolu’s look, wondering what the Pokemon wanted from him. But before any more could be done, the Riolu turned tail and ran down the hall. Tsukishima and Salazzle followed the Pokemon in hot pursuit. 

“Tsukki!” Yamaguchi cried as he wondered if he should follow after as well. He watched with a troubled look upon his brow as Tsukki and Salazzle disappeared behind the corner. Something about the Riolu tugged at Yamaguchi.

It wasn’t long before Tsukishima and Salazzle returned empty-handed. Tsukishima stomped into the room, joining Yamaguchi on the bed. A pouty Salazzle slumped down on the armchair near where Tsukishima slept.

“Got away?” Yamaguchi softly asked.

“Went down a laundry shoot,” Tsukishima grumbled.

Yamaguchi gave a small nod as silence hung in the room. Yamaguchi was exhausted at this point. The day had been one of the craziest he had ever experienced and his mind was far too tired to process it properly.

“What are we going to do about the doorknob?” Yamaguchi asked after a long moment.

“I’ll call the front desk,” Tsukishima sighed, rolling over and reaching for the hotel lobby phone.

It was well after midnight that the two trainers were finally able to get to sleep. It had taken the hotel staff a good while to arrive at the room and took even more time for Yamaguchi and Tsukishima to explain what happened. They had been provided with a temporary doorknob and a shower of apologies for such a break in. The poor man helping seemed baffled by how a Riolu had been able to sneak in and break open a door to a room in the first place.

The second the lights went out Yamaguchi was drifting in and out of sleep. With Eevee held snug in his arms and Tsukishima right beside him, Yamaguchi felt more relaxed than ever.

“Man, today was just wild,” Yamaguchi sighed, unable to keep his eyes open.

“I’m going to need a vacation,” Tsukishima flatly replied.

“What do you mean? It’s your turn to train,” Yamaguchi jokes his voice cracking from a suppressed giggle. “You have your gym battle next.”

“Don’t remind me!” Tsukishima groaned.

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi laughed.

A moment of silence hung in the air as the two best friends allowed themselves a moment to relax.

“You were really amazing today,” Tsukishima spoke in an almost inaudible whisper.

Yamaguchi felt his heart skip a beat as his stomach went all fluttery. He could barely handle such a compliment from Tsukki. “T-Thanks!” he replied as he tried his best to regain control of his beating heart.

Another moment hung between the two, both too flustered to say much more.

“G-Goodnight, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi eventually whispered.

“Goodnight, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima contently sighed from beside him.

With that, the two trainers drifted into a much-needed sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that concludes Yamaguchi’s first showcase! Out boy has grown so much in the past month or so! So proud of him. But is he really ready for what is to come next? Will he and Tsukki keep climbing the metaphorical ladder of life? What obstacles will come their way? What about that little Riolu? That and more will be answered if you stay tuned!!!
> 
> Hey all! So next week I will be moving to a new place so we probably won’t be getting a new chapter. Sorry for the delay. We might be switching to an every other week format until April/May but I will do my best to keep you all updated on that. I am happy I was able to get through the first Showcase stuff before the move though so that wont be hanging in limbo.
> 
> As always I want to thank you all so much for the kind comments and reviews I always get on this fic! I love to hear from my readers so do leave a comment/review and let me know what you think. Also thanks to everyone who has left me kudos, bookmarks and follows on this fic. Any sort of feedback really helps fuel my writing tank! I also want to thank everyone who was kind enough to offer to be a part time Beta reader. I really appreciate it. A lot more people offered than I had expected and am really touched <3
> 
> Well, that is all for now. See you next chapter.


	29. The Fear of Confessing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Yes I am still here! Yes I am still alive. Yes here is chapter 29 just for you all. I hope you enjoy <3
> 
> My current beta is doing such an awesome job!!!! They go by the name of Killer_Squids and can be found on AO3 here (https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killer_Squids). They can also be found on tumblr under the name land-banana. They have done a wonderful job with betaing for me so if you have time please give there page a look.
> 
> I choose you, chapter 29!!!

Yamaguchi woke the next morning feeling more rested than ever. He, Tsukki, and Kanoka had plans to head out that morning and carry on with their journey. Yamaguchi worked quickly that morning to pack his bag, for he had one very important thing he needed to do before heading out. With Kanoka and Tsukki still readying themselves for departure, Yamaguchi made his way to the 1st-floor lobby of the hotel where several computers could be found for guests to use.

Yamaguchi found a computer at the far corner of the small PC room. Fortunately for him, no one else was making any calls. He sat at his computer and hesitated for a long moment. He hoped it wasn’t too early to make a call, but he knew if he didn’t do it now he wouldn’t have another chance for a few days. Giving his head a swift shake, he set his worries aside and pressed the call button.

The computer rang several times before the person on the other line picked up. As the camera on the other end picked up Yamaguchi was pleased to see Shimada smiling brightly at him.

“Oh, Yamaguchi! Good morning,” Shimada greeted cheerily. The man looked to already be dressed and ready for the day despite it being so early.

“Good morning,” Yamaguchi replied with a bright smile of his own. “I hope my call isn’t disturbing anything,” he added softly.

“No worries at all,” Shimada insisted. “I’ve been awake for quite a while. I saw your performance yesterday! You were amazing! I never would have guessed it was your first showcase,” he gushed like a proud parent.

“It was all thanks to you,” Yamaguchi insisted. “If you hadn't pushed me, I never would’ve ever tried showcases.”

“Nonsense! You came up with that routine all on your own, and it was great,” Shimada praised, his eyes shining with pride for his protege. “I knew I saw something special in you.”

“I...I” Yamaguchi stuttered as his cheeks went red. Such comments rarely ever came his way. He hadn’t a clue of how to reply. “Th-Thank you,” he decided to go with in the end.

Shimada smiled brightly, seemingly enjoying Yamaguchi’s flustered reaction. “You better get used to compliments like that if you keep up with such extravagant routines.”

“Well, I-... I,” Yamaguchi sputtered, unsure how to reply to that. He really wasn’t equipt for this kind of teasing.

“Now, I take it you had a reason to call me...” Shimada hummed, finally deciding to give Yamaguchi some peace.

“Y-Yes,” Yamaguchi sighed, still feeling quite flustered. He gave himself a quick second before carrying on. “I just wanted to thank you so much for sending me the wonderful suit. You really saved my life.”

“Hey, not a problem. Anything for my number one protege,” Shimada said with a wink. “But you can’t just thank me. It was your tall friend… what's his name? Tsukishima. It was his idea that I send you one of my old suits.”

As Shimada spoke Yamaguchi felt his ears heat up. “Tsukki asked you to send it?” he asked without realizing he had done so.

“Yeah, he helped me pick out your measurements and even waited around to pick up the package,” Shimada carried on as he recalled the whole ordeal. “He was very insistent that I send something if I had it, and of course I was more than willing to help out.”

“Tsukki asked…” Yamaguchi repeated once more in a very far off tone. He felt his heart beat loudly in his chest and his stomach went all fluttery. The idea of Tsukki going out of his way for him made Yamaguchi feel all sorts of funny tickling emotions that he would never admit aloud. Why hadn’t Tsukki told him about this?

“Yeah, didn’t he tell you?” Shimada asked, mildly confused.

“No, he just told me I got a package and that's it,” Yamaguchi replied in a new sort of flustered than before. The more he thought about Tsukki doing this the more his face when red and his heart beat out of control. 

Shimada studied Yamaguchi for a long moment with a very knowing smile on his face. “I see…” He eventually said with a snicker. “Oh, to be young again,” he then said in dramatic whimsy.

“It’s not like that,” Yamaguchi mumbled in denial. It very much was like that from Yamaguchi's end but he wasn’t going to admit it.

“Right,” Shimada said with a sigh-like chuckle. “Well, let me know when you’ve decided on your next competition and we can discuss what you have planned.”

“It’ll probably be after Tsukki’s next gym battle, so you might not hear from me in a while,” Yamaguchi explained. “In the meantime, I plan to work on my fashion skills and do a bit of fact studying.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Shimada agreed. 

With that, mentor and protege bid each other a friendly farewell.

Yamaguchi could not believe Tsukki had kept the full story of the suit from him. Why hadn’t he said he’d helped Shimada pick out the blue suit when he received it? He wanted to march right up to Tsukki and scold him for it, but at the same time he was unable to get his heart under control.

Tsukki had picked out his suit. The blue suite with its shining buttons and white shoes. Yamaguchi had fallen in love with it the moment he set eyes on it, and Tsukki had been the one to pick it out. Had Tsukki known Yamaguchi would love it or was it just a coincidence? How long had it taken him to decide on the outfit or did Shimada only have one? These thoughts raced through Yamaguchi’s mind, making it quite hard for him to concentrate.

It was late morning by the time the three had hit the road. Yamaguchi still hadn’t confronted Tsukki about the suit, for every time he so much as thought about doing so, his stomach would do a flip. He liked to pretend he didn’t know why his chest felt so light and why his stomach so twisted every time he looked at his best friend, but he was well aware of what those feelings meant. Fortunately for Yamaguchi, Tsukki didn’t seem to be aware of Yamaguchi’s odd behavior, and if he was he didn’t show it.

The three walked along the path that led to Cyllage City. From where they were, it would take them several days before they made it to their next destination, which Yamaguchi was fine with. He was more than ready for a bit of rest to clear his buzzing mind. 

It was late noon by the time the three trainers and their Pokemon decided to stop and set up camp for the night. Yamaguchi got to whipping together a quick lunch while Tsukki and Kanoka set up camp for the night. Yamaguchi had to admit that it was nice having a third body helping with setting up camp, as it made settling in much quicker.

“I don’t know how you do it,” Kanoka sighed as Yamaguchi passed her a plate of pasta. “How do you whip together such delicious meals in such short a time? I lived off of rice balls and sandwiches when I was traveling alone.”

“Just practice, I guess,” Yamaguchi shrugged as he passed a plate to Tsukki. “Anyone could do it.”

“You need to open a restaurant or something someday,” Kanoka hummed before taking a bit of the dish. “So good!”

“My family already owns a bakery,” Yamaguchi said with a small laugh. “So, it’s almost like a restaurant.”

“That explains it,” Kanoka said making an ah-ha sort of gesture. “That’s where your baking skills come from! What about you, Tsukishima? You and Yamaguchi are from the same Alonan Island, right?”

Tsukishima looked to Kanoka as if he’d rather not be part of the conversation. “My dad and mom are researchers. They were stationed there when I was 10…” he eventually replied. 

“And that explains why you are so smart!” Kanoka pointed out in another ah-ha moment.

“What?” Tsukishima grumbled, not impressed by the comment.

“Tsukki really is the smartest!” Yamaguchi agreed adamantly.

“Shut up, Yamaguchi!” Tsukishima snapped with a roll of his eyes.

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi laughed before adding a quiet. “But it’s true.”

Lunch passed just as quickly as it came, and before long the three trainers had scouted out a large open area for themselves to practice. Yamaguchi sat with his back to a tree and Eevee asleep in his lap as he watched Tsukishima try his best to make Frogadier and Snivy work together, as the two stubborn Pokemon obviously wanted to please their trainer but equally did not want anything to do with each other.

Yamaguchi could not help but admire Tsukishima’s ability to convince the two Pokemon to cooperate. He was so strong and never took no for an answer. Tsukki wasn’t afraid to tell people what they needed to hear, though sometimes he went too far. He was rough on the outside, but always gentle with those he cared for. He was everything Yamaguchi aspired to be and more.

Yamaguchi felt his cheeks go pink as his mind shifted to more physical attributes of his best friend. Tsukishima’s body was tall and lean in the best way possible. His arms were long and toned, and on many occasions, Yamaguchi wished to know how it felt to be wrapped in them. He longed to cuddle close to Tsukki’s broad chest in the way Eevee often does. He wished to nuzzle the silky smooth skin of Tsukki’s neck and to feel his soft golden hair felt against his freckled cheek. He longed more than ever to taste those lips that were often set to a scowl. As these thoughts rapidly passed thoughts Yamaguchi's mind, his cheeks became hot.

“Hey! How’s it going?” Kanoka asked, plopping herself down next to Yamaguchi.

“Ack!” Yamaguchi squeaked, almost falling over in his surprise. 

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” Kanoka replied sheepishly. “Did I disrupt something?”

“N-No! No!” Yamaguchi insisted. “I was just… thinking is all,” he came up with on the spot. It was true though. He was thinking… about Tsukki.

Kanoka gave an understanding hum as she studied Yamaguchi for a long moment. “I’ve been thinking, too,” she quietly admitted.

“Oh, have you?” Yamaguchi asked, looking at Tsukki for a split moment. He hoped she wasn’t thinking about Tsukki.

“Yeah…” Kanoka sighed as she seemingly entered a moment of heavy thought.

Yamaguchi looked to her, wondering what could be on her mind. She looked a little disappointed and quite down. Now that he thought about it, she had been acting quite odd since they had left that morning.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Yamaguchi offered, his curiosity getting the best of him.

Kanoka looked to Yamaguchi and studied him for a long quiet moment. “I don’t mean to bring the mood down,” She sighed, though she really looked as if she wanted so badly to talk about whatever it was.

“Don’t worry, you won’t,” Yamaguchi insisted in as reassuring a voice as he could.

Kanoka gave another small hum before giving her reply. “Well, the thing is,” she started as if she was still unsure what to say. “Yamaguchi, have you ever been in love?” when she asked this, she looked at him with quite desperate eyes.

Almost on instinct Yamaguchi’s eyes flashed to Tsukki before looking back to Kanoka. “W-What?” he somehow got out.

“Sorry, that came out wrong,” Kanoka half laughed, with a shake of her head. “I mean, have you ever liked someone and you didn’t know if they liked you back?” She clarified.

Once more Yamaguchi glanced to where Tsukkiwas currently scrolling a pouting Frogadier. A moment of guilt settled in his stomach. “M-maybe… I mean, hasn’t everyone at one point or another?” he replied best he could.

Kanoka didn’t seem to take notice of the look’s Yamaguchi had sent to Tsukki and if she did she was hiding it well. “See, when I was a kid I had this friend, Tanaka,” Kanoka began, now looking at the grass. “He was a great guy, he was always so kind to me and really taught me how to love myself,” as she spoke she seemed to be thinking back about very fond memories.

“That sounds nice,” Yamaguchi hummed, recalling his own memories of how Tsukki was always by his side growing up.

“He and I traveled for a bit together when we were kids. He helped me learn how to be a strong trainer and believe in myself. I really liked him back then, but I never said anything,” Kanoka carried on. “When I moved away I thought I would never see him again but I never forgot about him.”

“You moved away?” Yamaguchi asked, his tone unfortunate. 

“Yeah, once I arrived back home from my travels my dad’s company had him transfer from the Sinnoh office to one in Hoenn. I was still too young back then to be in another region on my own like I am now so I had to move with them,” Kanoka seemed regretful as she spoke. “It was hard parting with him.”

“Oh, that sounds terrible,” Yamaguchi comforted. He would have died if he and Tsukki had been separated like that. He couldn’t imagine a single day go by without Tsukki by his side.

“He and I kept in touch for a few years but I haven’t talked with him in ages,” Kanoka now sent Yamaguchi a very desperate look as she spoke. “And the thing is, he works at the Cyllage City Gym,” she looked quite torn as she said this, her eyes searching Yamaguchi desperately for help.

“That’s good, isn’t it?” Yamaguchi asked. He was horribly confused. If he had been separated from Tsukki only to be reunited he’d be estatick. 

“I think I still like him,” Kanoka admitted, her eyes guilty.

Yamaguchi gave a small nod of understanding. 

“Have you ever fallen in love with someone who you considered a best friend?” Kanoka quietly asked. She looked to Yamaguchi once more, her eyes desperate for a kindred spirit. 

Yamaguchi felt his chest tighten before looking to where Tsukki stood. A moment of guilt washed over him. He knew very well how that felt. “It’s hard…” He admitted in a whisper.

“I knew you would understand…” Kanoka said with a small smile. “I’m scared to see him again,” She then added, her smile now a frown.

“You don’t need to be,” Yamaguchi consoled. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you again.”

“I don’t know what to say to him,” Kanoka stressed before pausing for a short moment. “I sort of want to tell him but I’m also so scared.”

Yamaguchi gave another small nod. Kanoka didn’t know it but she was miles ahead of himself when it came to admitting her feelings. Yamaguchi had only recently begun to understand his feeling for his best friend and it too scared him.

“You can take the reunion slowly and then decide if you are ready,” Yamaguchi replied.

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle the pressure once I see him,” Kanoka said with a sarcastic laugh. “I’ll probably just embarrass myself.”

“With me there you won't have to worry about being the embarrassing one,” Yamaguchi joked in an attempt to lighten the mood.

“What's that meant to mean!?” Kanoka replied with a laugh of her own.

“I’m the clumsy one of this group and you know it!” Yamaguchi pointed out as if it were a rule.

“You’re performance yesterday says otherwise,” Kanoka retorted with a genuine giggle.

“That was just luck,” Yamaguchi insisted. “Besides, I’d practiced for weeks to not mess it up.”

“Man look at us, fighting over who is more of a klutz,” Kanoka sighed, but still held her smile. “How are we ever going to manage around our crushes?!” She groaned dramatically.

“Try not to die of a heart attack,” Yamaguchi shrugged. “That's my current tactic.”

“Oh, my Arceus. You’re just as bad as me,” Kanoka laughed as she gave Yamaguchi’s shoulder a push. “Thanks for talking with me.”

“Not a problem,” Yamaguchi hummed. He now oddly felt a little less strange about his thing for Tsukki. He still wasn’t going to act on his feelings but it felt nice to know he wasn’t the only one head over heels for their best friend. 

Yamaguchi looked to Tsukishima and admired his best friend. It was hard crushing on someone you’ve known for so long. He felt like he was betraying his best friend in a way, but at the same time wouldn’t exchange these feeling for anything.

Yamaguchi had excused himself early from the training clearing, needing to get back to camp to prepare dinner for both themselves and their Pokemon. He quietly prepared a stew for the night, having Popplio and Swirlix help him cut ingredients as he added them to a sizzling pot. 

As he worked his mind often wandered back to his conversation with Kanoka and how he still needed to thank Tsukki for helping him with the suit. He felt a mix of happy fluttery warmth that was closely followed by fear. He wanted so badly to just say something to Tsukki but his feelings were far too new. He didn’t want to mess it up and he definitely wasn’t ready to act on his feelings. 

It was too soon. Yamaguchi was the type to take it slow. He was also afraid of pushing Tsukki away. Tsukki wasn’t even interested in a relationship, let alone having his best friend come out to him. Tsukki’s first reaction would surely be to push him away. At least that’s what Yamaguchi thought. But would Tsukki really do that? Tsukki was snarky but he wasn’t shallow. Regardless, Yamaguchi was not ready to wager any bets.

It was when the stew was set to boil that Tsukki returned to the camp, tired and a bit sweaty.

“Hey, welcome back,” Yamaguchi greeted, handing Tsukki a clean hand towel to wipe off the sweat.

“Thanks,” Tsukishima said, taking the towel. “Will dinner be ready soon?”

“In about an hour,” Yamaguchi replied. “Is Kanoka still training?”

“Yeah, she said she still wanted to practice a few things,” Tsukishima flatly replied, taking a seat by the campfire. He pulled out his tablet for a bit of reading as he did so.

“Oh, good,” Yamaguchi hummed, sitting down next to his best friend. Eevee curled up snugly in his lap the moment his butt hit the ground. “You worked hard today. I know you’re going to win your next badge no problem,” he cheered sending his friend a bright toothy smile.

Tsukishima gave an exaggerated eye roll but seemed to enjoy the compliment nonetheless.

“Tsukki is the best,” Yamaguchi added, giving his best friend a light nudge in the shoulder with his own.

“Shut up, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima sighed, though his tone didn’t seem to hold any malice.

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi giggled.

A moment of content silence hung between the two. Yamaguchi felt a wave of bravery.

“Thanks, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi quietly spoke, leaning ever so gently upon his friend shoulder.

“For what?” Tsukishima flatly asked, not pulling away.

“For contacting Shimada to send me the suit,” Yamaguchi clarified in a very soft voice. He didn’t dare look at his best friend.

A soft but flustered ‘tch’ left Tsukki’s lips as his cheeks went a brilliant shade of pink. 

Yamaguchi still leaned upon his best friend, enjoying the intimate moment. To his surprise, Tsukki didn’t pull away even a bit. He didn’t dare look Tsukki’s way, for he knew in that moment his eyes would betray him. He felt guilty for his feelings, but being that close to Tsukki just felt like the right thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Oh my! Yamaguchi finally becoming aware of his feelings and admitting them to himself. What a shock! And we all knew Tsukki had something to do with the suit. Tsukki is such shy boy despite his spikes. How long will it take our pathetic love birds to admit their feelings? Will Tsukki really win his next Gym Battle!? Will Kanoka confess to her love once at the next gym? Stay tuned to find out.
> 
> Now that I am in the midst of moving I will probably be posting one chapter every other week. I will do my best to get a chapter up every other week but my life is pretty sporadic and busy atm. I promise that despite all this I am still working at writing new chapters. I hope that once I move and settle for good I can get chapters up once a week again. 
> 
> I’d like to thank everyone for the follows, bookmarks, kudos, reviews and comments. It always pushes me to write more even when I may not be posting. Just because I am a bit busy doesn’t mean I don’t see you guy’s feedback and I love the feedback so keep it coming.
> 
> Well, time for me to get back to packing! See you all next chapter!


	30. Pancakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! I am so sorry it has taken so long for chapter 30 to come out. I have been in the middle of moving overseas and then immediately caught a cold. Until I have 100% settled I probably won't be able to upload quite as regularly as before. I am hoping that by June I will be able to get back on to a regular upload schedule. Here's to hoping that happens. I hope you are all ready for chapter 30! 
> 
> My current beta is doing such an awesome job!!!! They go by the name of Killer_Squids and can be found on AO3 here (https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killer_Squids). They can also be found on tumblr under the name land-banana. They have done a wonderful job with betaing for me so if you have time please give there page a look.
> 
> Without further ado, chapter 30!

Yamaguchi had found himself a new objective. The idea had come to him on their second day on the road. He’d been following behind Tsukki when he saw it. Two red eyes watching them from a tall tree. They were the same red eyes that belonged to the Riolu that had broken into their hotel room back in Camphrier Town.

Yamaguchi couldn’t help but smile when he saw the eyes disappear into the trees. He knew Riolu was bound to show up again, and when he did Yamaguchi was going to catch it. The little guy seemed to like his food well enough, and would be a wonderful and strong asset to his team. All he needed to do was lure Riolu to a place where it couldn’t take off.

“Hey, how much longer until we stop for the day?” Yamaguchi asked, studying the back of his best friend’s head.

“Just say so if you want to stop,” Tsukishima replied shortly.

“I say so, then,” Yamaguchi cheekily said.

Kanoka gave a small giggle from behind Yamaguchi, while Tsukishima gave a small ‘tch’ but didn’t retort back.

“How about we go for another hour,” Yamaguchi suggested in a more serious manner. 

“Sounds good to me,” Kanoka agreed. “I could go for some lunch soon anyways.”

Tsukishima shrugged, “Yeah, I suppose an hour is fine.”

The three walked on for a while longer before coming upon a nice open campsite. As always, Yamaguchi busied himself with making lunch while Tsukki and Kanoka set up camp. In record time for Tsukki and Yamaguchi, the camp was made and lunch was ready.

“So, what do you two have planned for this afternoon?” Yamaguchi asked as he passed the two their respective lunches.

“I guess I’ll train some more,” Tsukishima shrugged, taking his lunch from Yamaguchi.

“I’ll be doing the same,” Kanoka replied cheerfully. “I don’t want to make a fool of myself at the next gym,” she added, her cheeks aflame.

“Well, while you two are training I’m going to be doing a project of my own,” Yamaguchi admitted with a glint in his eyes.

“Oh?” Kanoka hummed in much interest. “Is it something for your next showcase?”

Even Tsukki looked up from his plate to send Yamaguchi a silent but curious glance.

“Sort of,” Yamaguchi said with a cheeky smile. “Y’know that Riolu from before, it’s still following us, and I’m going to catch it. But, that means no coming back to camp until I say so.”

“What!? I had no clue it was still following us,” Kanoka asked, looking around the clearing.

“I I’m not too surprised. It’s been tailing us for a while now,” Tsukishima shrugged as he tried to hide any interest in the subject.

“Why do you need the campsite to catch it though?” Kanoka asked.

“Well, I plan to make something it won’t be able to resist, and then when it comes to take a bite, I’ll get it!” Yamaguchi explained. “The Riolu might get suspicious if I just leave food out in a random clearing but if I leave it out here it won’t see it coming!”

“Do you think it will really work?” Kanoka hummed in thought.

“Well, the Riolu seems to be following its stomach more than anything, so I hope it does,” Yamaguchi nodded, looking to the two in excitement. This was the first time in a while where he’d felt so pumped and ready to catch a Pokemon.

“In that case, the camp is all yours this afternoon,” Kanoka cheered. “Good luck catching it!”

Yamaguchi looked to Tsukki for his approval as well. Tsukki gave a silent nod of agreement before going back to his meal.

“Thanks, you two!” Yamaguchi gushed. “I promise by evening there will be a new member on my team!”

Before long Tsukishima and Kanoka bid their farewell to Yamaguchi. Both exited into the forest and once their voices disappeared into the trees, Yamaguchi got started with this plan. Yamaguchi reckoned the Riolu might have had a sweet tooth with the way it devoured his Pokepuffs. He didn’t have much in the way of cooking or baking utensils, so he went with the best thing he could think of, pancakes.

It only took Yamaguchi a few minutes to whip together a tall stack of fluffy warm pancakes. He made a quick chocolate sauce with a few of the ingredients he had and poured it on top of the stack. The smell of the sweet treat wafted past his nose and into the trees. To finish off his masterpiece, he chopped up a few pecha berries and garnished the top.

Once he was done he took a step back to admire his work. He gave a nod and approving hum, satisfied with the creation. He then placed the tall stack of Pancakes on a small fold-up table in the center of the campsite. It might’ve looked a bit like a trap, but Yamaguchi hoped Riolu’s stomach would distract it from noticing. 

With his bait now in place, he gently picked Eevee up and summoned Popplio out of her Pokeball. Popplio looked thrilled to see such a large stack of pancakes ready for the eating but didn’t make towards them. 

“These ones aren't for you,” Yamaguchi clarified, which Popplio looked quite disappointed to hear.

“I have a very important mission for us today!” Yamauchi carried on, excited to get his plan into action. “and, if we succeed we are going to be adding a new member to our team.”

This seemed to interest Popplio, as the small seal gave an excited bark. Eevee also seemed excited but didn’t seem to understand why the same way Popplio did. 

Yamaguchi wasted no time in explaining his plan to Popplio and Eevee. As he did so, he made sure to do it in a very hushed voice so that no prying ears could hear the plan. Once all the details were laid out. The three, but mostly Yamaguchi and Popplio, put the plan into action.

“Oh my, Popplio, I just made all these delicious pancakes but now we have nothing to drink along with them,” Yamaguchi spoke in an unnaturally loud voice. “I used up all our cream and every last drop of water to make these.”

Popplio gave an exaggerated swoon while Eevee trilled along in Yamaguchi’s arms, not fully sure what was going on but happy to be a part of it.

“I guess we need to get some water, but the stream is so far away,” Yamaguchi carried on in a dramatic ‘woe is me’ tone. “I hope nothing happens to the pancakes while we are gone because we will be gone for such a long time getting water.”

Popplio gave another dramatic bark of worry and Eevee once again thrilled happily. 

“I guess we better get going before the pancakes get too cold because right now they are very warm and fluffy and delicious,” Yamaguchi spoke loudly into the tree tops. “This way to the water, Popplio,” he yelled, leading Popplio into a random corner of the forest.

Popplio dutifully followed behind her trainer doing her best to act as if she were worried about the trek to the river. Once in the forest, Yamaguchi and Popplio walked quite aways, doing their best to make it as believable as possible that they had left. With Popplio leading the way as she had a better sense of direction than her trainer, the two made a large u-turn leading them back to the other side of the camp from where they exited. Once back at the camp, they found a large leafy bush, and hunkered down for the ambush. 

If Yamaguchi’s instincts were correct, Riolu’s stomach would outweigh its ability to notice their return. He knew Riolu wouldn’t come out right away, but he was confident that the small fighting dog would eventually show its face. These were some of the best pancakes he had ever made so it was bound to attract it.

The three waited for a long while, so long that Eevee fell asleep in Yamaguchi's arms. Yamaguchi and Popplio, on the other hand, did their best to stay focused. Their backs ached from being hunched over and their legs shook from being crouched down, but both Pokemon and trainer were as focused as ever.

Well over an hour must have passed, but Yamaguchi finally noticed some movement. He didn’t need to point it out to Popplio, for she noticed it as well. The two motion to stay quiet before returning their attention to the pancakes.   
A bushel of leaves on a high branch wiggled and shook as two red eyes peered from their depth. They were calculating and wary as they scanned the campsite, and they must have scanned the area three times over before zeroing in on the pancakes. Like a blue flash, the Riolu lept from the bush onto the table that held the plate of fluffy pancakes.

Once at the table, the small Riolu’s eyes shone with excitement. It slapped it’s paws together greedily before digging into the fluffy treat. It gave a long draw out howl of joy as it took its first large bite. Yamaguchi couldn’t help but smile at seeing the joyment on the Pokemon’s face.

Yamaguchi looked to Popplio, telling her to wait a moment longer. Popplio gave a nod of understanding. They were to wait until the Riolu stuffed itself to the max.

As the Riolu worked its way through the pancakes it began to slow down. Yamaguchi could tell it was becoming very full. Despite this, the fighting type carried on devouring the sweet fluffy tower of goodness. It was when Riolu got down to the last two cakes that Yamaguchi decided to make their move.

“Do it now, Popplio!” Yamaguchi shouted, jumping from the bush, leaving a still sleeping Eevee behind.

Before Riolu could react, Popplio wasted no time in filling the perimeter of camp with several large floating bubbles, some of which floated as high as the tree tops.

Surprised and very much startled, Riolu fell backwards into the remaining pancakes causing the remainder of the desert to splatter off the plate.

With the element of surprise on his side, Yamaguchi jumped into action.

“Water Gun, Popplio!” Yamaguchi instructed.

As if the two were in synch, Popplio shot a powerful stream of water at the still-confused Riolu. The attack was head on and knocked the small fighting type off the table along with the plate of smashed pancake.

Riolu didn’t seem to pleased to have it’s treat knocked to the floor. As it got back onto its feet it shot Yamaguchi a glare, which he met with a confident smile, happy to see that the Riolu was not about to run.

In a flash, Riolu executed a perfect quick attack on Popplio, causing the seal to stagger back.

With Riolu now close enough Yamaguchi went in for the next attack. “Pound, Popplio!”

Popplio didn't waste the opportunity to give her opponent a strong smack to the head causing Riolu to see double.

“Great Job!” Yamaguchi praised. “Now, pound once more!”

This time Riolu was able to block the move and struck Popplio with a very well placed Force Palm. Popplio gave a loud cry as she was pushed back.

“Popplio, hang in there,” Yamaguchi cried in determination.

Though she was winded, Popplio was not ready to give in.

“Aqua Jet!” Yamaguchi commanded upon seeing Popplio’s will to carry on.

Weighed down by the mass amounts of pancakes, Riolu was unable to dodge the attack, and Popplio’s aqua jet struck it square in the back, causing it to go flying before landing with a hard thud.

Without wasting a moment, Yamaguchi threw an empty Greatball at the frazzled Pokemon.

The ball hit Riolu square on the bum before encapsulating it. The blue ball fell to the floor, where Yamaguchi and Popplio immediately rushed over to it. The small button flashed once, twice, and on the third glow it clicked shut.

With a bubble of excitent, Yamaguchi scooped up the ball. “We did it, Popplio! We caught Riolu!”

Popplio gave an excited bark of joy as she danced around Yamaguchi’s legs. They had done it and this time it wasn’t a fluke. All the practice and training for the showcase really had helped the two become more in synch. A feeling of invincibility built up in Yamaguchi’s chest. He couldn’t wait to show Tsukki his catch when he returned.

After retrieving Eevee from the bush and summoning Swirlix from her ball, Yamaguchi wasted no time in releasing the sneaky Riolu.

Still dizzy from the fight, Riolu sprang forward from his ball. It looked around at Yamaguchi and the other tree Pokemon, still quite confused. 

“Hey there, Riolu,” Yamaguchi gently greeted. “Have this, it will help you feel better,” he said passing an Oran berry to his new catch.

Riolu was not shy about taking the food from Yamaguchi. It devoured the berry before giving a very happy cry. Yamaguchi was pleased to see Riolu wasn’t having trouble settling in. Part of him wondered if Riolu had wanted to be caught all along.

“Welcome to the team, Riolu,” Yamaguchi hummed, giving Riolu’s head a soft pat.

Riolu gave a small cry of joy before springing into Yamaguchi’s arms, unintentionally knocking Eevee to the floor. Yamaguchi hugged Riolu back as he gave his pouting Eevee and very sorry look. “I’m glad your not shy about joining the team,” Yamaguchi laughed, gently stroking Riolu’s back. 

Both Popplio and Swirlix purred in agreement but Eevee seemed a bit put off by someone else being in her spot.

Yamaguchi allowed the four Pokemon to become acquainted while he cleaned up the mess from the battle and started on a new batch of pancakes to celebrate. All the while, Eevee followed closest to him, shooting very possessive looks anytime Riolu looked their way. If Riolu noticed, she didn’t seem to care.

Tsukishima was the first to return to the campo, just in time for the last batch of pancakes to come off the griddle.

“I see you caught the stalker,” Tsukishima commented, taking a plate of pancakes with pecha berries. “Good work.”

“Yup, and she wasn’t too hard to catch!” Yamaguchi smiled brightly.

“Is that so?” Tsukishima hummed.

“Yup,” Yamaguchi chirpred. “I knew she wouldn’t be able to resist a sweet treat,” he laughed lightheartedly. “Kind of like someone else I know,” he added, glancing Tsukki’s way.

Tsukishima’s cheeks were pink as he swallowed a bite of pancake. “Shut up, Yamaguchi.”

“Sorry, Tsukki!” Yamaguchi laughed, taking a seat next to him. As he did so, Eevee lept feverishly into his lap, glaring at anyone who so much as glanced at her throne.

“Spoiled,” Tsukishima mumbled, eyeing the possessive Eevee.

“She’s just getting used to her new teammate,” Yamaguchi defended.

“I told you all that coddling would result in bratty behavior,” Tsukishima shot back sassily.

“She isn’t spoiled!” Yamaguchi pouted, but Tsukki only gave a knowing smile. 

Perhaps it was about time to get Eevee on to a more independant road. Now that Yamaguchi thought about it, he’d noticed one tooth coming through just that morning. He looked to Eevee, only to have her look to him with nothing but love and adoration, and he decided he could worry about that another time. For now, he was just going to focus on his victories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hurray for our Yama! He has caught himself another Pokemon! Who saw it coming! Riolu is the perfect addition to his little team. I wonder what sort of shenanigans she will bring along with her! I hope Eevee learns to chill. This and so much more will be answered if you stay tuned!
> 
> I would like to apologize again for the late update. My life has been all over the place the past few month and probably won't settle done until June. I do plan to post a few chapters between now and June but I can’t promise and weekly update. Send me good vibes that my move carries on smoothly because the smoother it is the more likely I will be able to get back on track with a weekly upload schedule :P
> 
> I want to thank all of you who have hung around despite my absence I promise that I am indeed still here just not as here as I was before. I really do see all the comments and kudos and bookmarks and stuff you all leave on this fic and honestly it really helps brighten my day. Even when my life gets busy and out of control I still love to see feedback from you, my lovely readers, so if you have time to drop a comment or review please do so.
> 
> This is all I got for now. I will see you all again next chapter. Once again sorry for the delays.


	31. Baby Steps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeey! I am back and I have finally made my move. I have mostly settled into my new place so hopefully that means we can settle in to a normal update schedule again. I really appreciate everyone patience with me these past few months. I feel horrible for being away as I was. I hope you are all ready for chapter 31!
> 
> I feel like from now on I am going to share at the beginning of each chapter a bit of music that I feel sets the mood for each chapter. Of course all of these songs will be soundtracks/remixes of Pokemon themes such as city or rout themes. I feel like a good theme to go along with this chapter would be route 209’s theme. This is one of my top favorite themes from the Pokemon games so I may recommend it as a listen for other chapters as well. Here is a link to a great cover of the 209 rout theme by one of my favorite Pokemon/vidoe game remixers GlitchxCity (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXXFzrbu8tc&list=PL9793A30C55CED7F6&index=29). Give it a listen while you read along! I feel like it fits the overall theme of this chapter. Share with me your favorite themes in the comments down below! 
> 
> I would like to thank ninalover359 for taking time to beta read this chapter on such short notice. I really appreciate their help so let’s all give them a big warm thank you! If it were not for them this chapter would still be unbeta read.
> 
> Chapter 31, I choose you!!!!

Riolu settled in quite quickly. In fact if one were to guess just by looking at the fighting type, they’d assume her to be one of Yamaguchi’s veteran Pokemon. She was small and fiesty, always ready to tussle, but also quite affectionate and going out of her way to help anyone who might need it. As far as Yamaguchi was concerned, catching Riolu was the right decision. Eevee, on the other hand, didn’t share the sentiment.

Riolu liked laps almost as much as Eevee did. When Riolu wasn’t punching the air she liked to snuggled with Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi found that quite endearing, especially since Riolu was still quite new to his team. Had the poor guy been this lonely for so long. Yamaguchi didn’t have the heart to push Riolu away when she came looking for a lap. With a large smile, Riolu would curl up next to Eevee and enjoy the warmth of her new trainer. 

Eevee, unlike Riolu, did not like to share Yamaguchi’s lap with others. The small shiny Pokemon was often quite shy but also, apparently, equally possessive. The first time Riolu joined her in Yamaguchi’s lap she had put up such a fuss that Yamaguchi had to cradle her in his arms. Tsukki all the while made cracks about how spoiled she was. Yamaguchi defended her but deep down wondered if perhaps he had coddled her a bit too much for a bit too long.

It was late afternoon and Yamaguchi had taken to watching Tsukki train his team. They had camped near a small meadow which Tsukki and Kanoka had claimed as their training ground. The two would often have their pokemon focus on certain move or techniques before having short practice battles with one another. With the camp all set up, and dinner a few hours off, he found that watching the two was about the most interesting thing for him to do. With Eevee in his lap and a stack of books at his side, Yamaguchi sat back against a tree and enjoyed the lazy spring afternoon.

The current book he found himself reading was one on hatchling Eevees and their weaning process. Eevee’s first few teeth had finally started to grow through and Yamaguchi knew she would soon be old enough to eat solid foods. It broke his heart to think handfeeding Eevee was about to come to an end but he was also so proud of how much she had grown. She was now twice the size from when she had hatched. 

Another thing that worried him was keeping her in a pokeball. She had only ever been in one once, when he caught her to make sure she was indeed his. It had only been for a moment and she hadn’t really liked it. She was newly hatched back than and is much older now so maybe she would handle it better.

Yamaguchi flipped to the page on training hatchling Pokemon. When he read over the section on Pokeballs it said a baby Pokemon would do fine in a ball for a few hours per day. It was best to start them out early. Yamaguchi hoped he hadn’t waited too long to start Eevee on the ball. She was quite clingy and often demanded being held.

He looked down upon Eevee to find her curled in a fuzzy ball. Smiling, he ran his fingers through her mane only for her to give a small content purr. If Eevee showed any hint of distress would he be able to actually go through with the ball. He at least had to get her used to it. Maybe he will focus on getting her off of the bottle first.

Since the increase in Pokemon on the team, feeding time had become a lot more hectic than normal. Yamaguchi had to more often than not dance around juggling Eevee in one hand, trying to keep Swirlix away with another while also making sure Frogadier didn’t steal any food while his back was turned. Fortunately for Yamaguchi Frogadier was up a tree hiding from a far too friendly and eager Popplio. Salazzle was always there to back Yamaguchi up, protecting the meals until everything was ready to be served. Riolu, who came to love Yamaguchi’s homemade chow almost immediately, would also try to help by dancing around Yamaguchi's feet begging for a sample and when Riolu wasn’t begging for a treat, she was running around wrestling with Bagon and Kanoka’s Pancham. While all this went on Snivy often just watch from the sideline, wanting nothing to do with the rowdy crowd.

When Kanoka and Tsukki were available they would also lend a hand. Tsukki would care for Eevee while Kanoka fended off any sneakers who tried to nab a taste of food before dinner was served.

Today was one of those days where Tsukki and Kanoka had opted to spend time training up until feeding time. Tsukki was focusing his time on Frogadier while Kanoka was doing her best to power up one of Gastrodon’s water moves. This meant Yamaguchi was alone to prepare dinner for their Pokemon.

Salazzle had taken to baby sit Eevee while Yamaguchi worked. In most cases, Eevee loved cuddle time with Salazzle but today she wouldn’t have any of it. While Popplio and Yamaguchi worked in tandem to prepare everyone’s bowls, Eevee would escape Salazzle’s care only to cry at Yamaguchi's heel to be held. Yamaguchi was Eevee’s favorite person but she normally wasn’t this needy. It was on the third time Yamaguchi had to place Eevee back with Salazzle that he realized something. Eevee’s large adorable eyes were glaring daggers at Riolu.

The small blue fighting type had taken to following Yamaguchi around, begging for a scrap of food while Yamaguchi worked. To calm Riolu down, every now and then Yamaguchi would answer with a “not yet,” and pat her head softly. Riolu would in turn give a happy bark and beg more around his heels. Yamaguchi was not the best at scolding his Pokemon. 

At one point, when Yamaguchi was almost done topping off the bowls with some berries, Eevee had rushed over and tackled Riolu away from Yamaguchi. Eevee had never shown so much aggression towards another and he was pretty sure this was the first time she had ever used an attack on another Pokemon. Yamaguchi had an odd moment of being both shocked and proud. Riolu all the while didn’t seem to mind the attack. She immediately tried to engage in a play wrestle with Eevee only for Eevee to scream bloody murder.

“Eevee!” Yamaguchi mildly scolded as he scooped her up out of Riolu’s path. Eevee looked to him in needy frustration. “What has gotten into you. You can’t go attacking your teammates like that!”

Eevee replied with a large pout, snuggling close to Yamaguchi but refusing to look him in the eye. Riolu stood at his heel unsure why Eevee had reacted so negatively.

“Don’t worry, Riolu,” Yamaguchi sighed. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” When he patted Riolu upon the head he heard Eevee give a very small squeaky growl. He had to remedy this somehow.

Tucking his shirt into his shorts, Yamaguchi slipped Eevee down his shirt before going back to preparing dinner. Eevee claimed her rightful stop down his shirt with a very pouty sigh. With Eevee now calmed down, it wasn’t long before all the meals were ready to be served. By the time Tsukishima and Kanoka returned, Yamaguchi was exhausted.

“For someone who relaxed all day you look wiped” Tsukishima commented with a hint of sass. 

“You don’t know the half of it,” Yamaguchi sighed as he slumped down next to Tsukki and began to feed Eevee. “Eevee has been a bit of a handful today.”

“Yeah, I noticed she doesn’t want to share you,” Tsukishima joked as he looked from Eevee to Yamaguchi. “She was glaring daggers at Riolu all morning while you prepared breakfast.” 

“I don’t know what to do, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi sighed in agony. He didn’t know if he had the heart to be stern with Eevee.

“You’re just going to have to give Eevee a little push,” Tsukishima insisted cooly. “Soon she won’t be a baby anymore.”

Yamaguchi sighed as he looked down at Eevee. As she suckled at the bottle he could see a few of her newly grown teeth. He definitely had to do something before this grew too out of hand.

“You’re too soft,” Tsukishima mumbled from next to him.

“Am not,” Yamaguchi replied, shooting him a stern side eye. 

Tsukishima was trying his hardest to fight back a smile for he knew he was right.

“I’m not soft,” Yamaguchi grumbled once more, returning his attention to Eevee. Her bottle was almost completely finished.

The next morning was just as hard on Yamaguchi. Eevee refused to be with anyone else but him. She staked her claim down his shirt and would not come out as he tried to work on their breakfast. She wouldn’t even go to Tsukki to be held. All the while if Riolu came too close she would grumble. Unfortunately for Eevee, Riolu didn’t seem to take much notice of her distress and followed after Yamaguchi’s every move.

It was after feeding that Yamaguchi put his plan into action. He only fed Eevee about half a bottle of milk that morning. Eevee seemed to pick up on it right away for when she got to the end of the battle she looked to Yamaguchi in pure confusion wondering where the rest of her breakfast was.

“Nope, I didn’t forget,” Yamaguchi laughed as he enjoyed the confusion on Eevee’s face. He then reached for a bowl next to him. It held a few pieces of his homemade pokechow, a few slice off an oran berry and a bit of formula. He had mashed it up prior to feeding Eevee to be sure it was ready for her.

With a small spoon, Yamaguchi scooped up a small amount of the food mixture. He was unsure if Eevee would even go for the solid food but there wasn’t a Pokemon out there who didn’t fall in love with his family recipe. He placed Eevee in his lap and held the spoon to her nose. Eevee gave a weary sniff to the spoon, looking from it to Yamaguchi in uncertainty.

“I promise that it is yummy,” Yamaguchi cooed as he held the spoon stedy in front of Eevee. He gave her his best reassuring smile.

It must have worked for Eevee gave the spoon a small sniff once more before giving it a small lick. Almost instantaneously Eevee’s doe eyes lit up. She gave a small trill before devouring the small pile of food on the spoon. Seeing the spoon empty, she looked to Yamaguchi for more.

“See, I told you it was good,” Yamaguchi chuckled, giving his beloved Eevee a smile as bright as the stars. 

Eevee gave a loud whine for more food in reply. Her small paws gently dug at Yamaguchi's stomach to emphasize she wanted more.

“Allright, no need to complain,” Yamaguchi laughed before offering her an even larger spoon full. Eevee ate it up really fast. Relief flooded Yamaguchi. He had worried Eevee would not take to solid food so fast but he should have known she’d be a fan of his homemade chow.

“I see Eevee’s weaning is going smoothly,” Tsukishima commented as he looked down upon his friend and the shiny pokemon.

“Thank goodness,” Yamaguchi sighed, smiling up at his best friend. “I was afraid she would turn her nose up at it.”

“There isn't a Pokemon in the whole of Kalos who’d reject your homemade food,” Tsukishima said with a shake of his head. This won him another bright smile from Yamaguchi flustering him a bit. “But you know, spoon feeding her isn’t going to help wean her off your lap,” Tsukishima added with a clearing of his throat. “Still just as spoiled.”

“Hey, Eevee is still just a baby,” Yamaguchi defended, his cheeks puffing as he did so. “She is a soft soul and needs baby steps,” he added with a pout.

“Right,” Tsukishima hummed with snark. “Or are you the one who needs the baby steps. She isn’t going to be a baby forever.”

“I just don’t want to shock her system is all,” Yamaguchi defended, though he knew he wasn’t ready himself to give up feeding time with Eevee quite yet. He looked down at his beloved Eevee as he fed her another spoon full of food. His heart melted as she gave a small trill of joy before taking a bite.

As much as Yamaguchi loved Eevee he could not ignore that she was indeed growing up. He couldn’t coddle her forever and he knew it was important for her to at least learn how to get along well with the others. He had a feeling her getting along with Swirlix and Popplio wouldn’t be a problem but Riolu was another story. For some reason Eevee just despised the new teammate. Yamaguchi just couldn’t figure out where this all came from.

He had to do something to remedy Eevee’s attitude before it was too late. It was best he not let the issue go any further than it was already at. Eventually Eevee and Riolu may need to work together in a showcase and they couldn’t achieve that if Eevee keeps reacting to Riolu the way she was.

That afternoon, while Tsukki and Kanoka were training, Yamaguchi called out all four of his current Pokemon who would listen to him. Perhaps mandated team building exercises would do the trick. Swirlix and Popplio could act as buffers and encourage Eevee to at least give Riolu a chance. Placing Eevee on the ground next to the other three Pokemon, Yamaguchi crouched down to get on eye level with them all.

“Today you all are going to help me prepare some dessert for tonight,” Yamaguchi smiled brightly as he looked upon his beloved Pokemon. “We are going to make a berry cobbler and to start off we need to collect some fresh berries,” he explained. Swirlix, Popplio and Riolu barked in excitement while Eevee looked to Yamaguchi in confusion.

“We will work in teams to collect berries, okay,” Yamaguchi gently carried on in his explanation. “Once Swirlix finds us a tree with berries you guys will split into to twos. Swirlix and Riolu, I want you two to work together and Popplio and Eevee you two will work as the second team.”

The three older Pokemon barked in understanding while Eevee looked to Yamaguchi, her eyes large and watery. She had that ‘please pick me up look’ in her eyes but Yamaguchi chose to ignore it. He told himself over again that this was going to be good for her.

“Now, Swirlix, please lead the way,” Yamaguchi instructed, motioning for Swirlix to guide them into the woods.

Swirlix barked with understanding once more before giving the air a big whiff. It only took a moment before Swirlix turned into a direction and followed a scent. 

“Let’s go then!” Yamaguchi sang, standing up without scooping up Eevee into his arms. 

Eevee gave a small cry of protest as she jumped at Yamaguchi’s ankle to be let up.

“We can’t lollygag, Eevee, or we’ll get left behind,” Yamaguchi gently instructed, not falling for her pleas. 

Eevee gave another desperate cry that almost broke Yamaguchi heart but he stood strong. Fortunately for him Popplio stepped in. The seal gave a small bark before guiding Eevee away from Yamaguchi’s ankle. Honestly, Yamaguchi didn’t know what he would do without Popplio.

Swirlix lead the party into the woods, making sure not to lose anyone. Yamaguchi took the caboose so that he could keep an eye on all his Pokemon. He felt all sorts of guilt as Eevee began to give him the cold shoulder. He could tell she was upset that he hadn’t carried her but Eevee needed to learn how to stand on her own. Yamaguchi knew that better than anyone.

It wasn’t long before the group happened upon a small grove of Pecha berries. ‘Tsukki’s favorite,’ Yamaguchi couldn't help but think and they looked just right for baking.

“Let’s all gather as many as we can so we can make the biggest cobbler ever,” Yamaguchi cheered hoping an upbeat attitude would help Eevee get into the mood. 

Eevee was the only one not to reply with a cheer. She sent Yamaguchi a very unsatisfied pout. Despite the fact that they hadn’t walked far she looked exhausted. Maybe he really had been carrying her far too much.

“L-Let’s get started, shall we,” Yamaguchi cheered once more, thought this time it was more forced. He did his best to ignore Eevee’s pout.

Swirlix and Riolu got to picking berries without too much of a push. Yamaguchi wasn’t surprised to find Eevee still pouting, refusing to move from where she sat.

“Eevee, why don’t you help us out,” Yamaguchi prompted, giving her back a soft stroke.

Eevee didn’t reply, her pout still strong as ever, though she did lean into his hand as he stroked her.

Popplio come up on the other side of Eevee and gave a small bark of encouragement.

“See, Popplio wants you to join as well,” Yamaguchi insisted once more. “Come join us. I can help you pick your first few berries if you’d like.”

Eevee looked to him, her eyes still upset but now held a hint of interest. She looked to Popplio next who gave her an award winning smile. Though hesitant, Eevee stood up showing she was ready to give it a try.

“Good girl,” Yamaguchi gently praised as he gave her mane a soft stoke. Eevee gave a small involuntary purr that only caused her to pout once more. The action reminded him a lot of Tsukki.

Eevee warmed up a bit as she joined Yamaguchi and Popplio at a small pecha berry tree. Crouched down, Yamaguchi held a basket while the Pokemon took turns placing berries in it. At first Eevee was unsure about the task. She would sniff at a berry and look to Yamaguchi several times, seeking his approval of the berries she picked.

“Any of them are good, Eevee,” Yamaguchi would humm, doing his best to encourage her to be a bit more independent in the task. “Choose whichever you would like.”

Popplio also mentored Eevee in the art of berry picking. She would show Eevee what a ripe berry would look like and then pass it off into the basket Yamagishi held. Before long Eevee was picking ripe berries herself and placing them in the basket. With each berry she placed Yamaguchi would praise her. Eevee seemed to like this very much.

One thing Eevee didn’t seem to like was any time Yamaguchi praised Riolu. She was fine with him praising Swirlix and Popplio but when it came to Riolu receiving Yamaguchi’s affection, Eevee would get jealous. At one point Eevee even stole a berry right out of Riolu’s hand, placing it in the basket herself. Riolu didn’t seem to mind but the act worried Yamaguchi.

“Eevee, don’t take the berries that the others have picked,” Yamaguchi scolded, doing his best to not be too harsh on the young Eevee. “It’s unkind.”

Eevee’s cheeks went pink with frustration as she kicked a bit of dust towards Riolu before stomping to the other side of the bush. Riolu merely looked on at Eevee in confusion. She looked to Yamaguchi for an explanation. The small fighting type seemed sad about Eevee’s cold shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Riolu,” Yamaguchi reassures, giving Riolu’s head a soft pat. “You’re doing just fine. Eevee will come around eventually.”

It wasn’t long before their basket was filled to the brim with Pecha berries. Once again Yamaguchi did not carry Eevee in his arms as they headed back to the camp. Eevee gave a frustrated squeak at the rejection but followed after the other three Pokemon. Seeing Eevee so upset was not easy but Yamagishi hoped she would come around as they baked.

Once back at camp Yamaguchi split the four Pokemon into teams of two once more.

“Riolu and Popplio I am going to leave the chopping of the berries to you two. Eevee and Swirlix you can help mix the ingredients,” Yamaguchi instructed, pointing out the work stations for each team. “I am going to prepare the fire for cooking so call me over if any of you need anything.”

Eevee looked longingly after Yamaguchi as he walked away but made no motion to go after him. Yamaguchi did his best not to look her in the eye lest he loses his resolve. Without a single whine, Eevee followed Swirlix to where the mixing bowl was.

The small cotton candy pokemon, while quite dopy, was Yamaguchi’s best team mate when it came to baking. She took no time in helping Eevee get comfortable with their task at hand. As Yamaguchi prepared the fire he was happy to see Eevee getting into her. Perhaps things were going to turn around for the better.

Once done with the fire Yamagishi carried a small Dutch Oven Pot to the table. He placed it beside Riolu and Popplio who had only just finished chopping up the berries. “Good work, you two. I’m very impressed,” he praised as he looked over the pile of fruit. Some were cut larger than others but they would do just fine.

Popplio and Riolu barked in joy at the praise. This seemed to catch Eevee’s ear. From the corner of his eye Yamaguchi could see Eevee shoot Riolu a pout. She soon returned her attention to Swirlix causing Yamaguchi to sigh in relief.

“Place the berries in the pot and we can go over to the fire to cook them down a bit,” Yamaguchi told Popplio and Riolu.

Riolu and Popplio did as they were told and once all the diced berries were in the pot the three made their way to the fire. Yamaguchi carefully placed the pot on a small metal frame over the fire, making sure Popplio and Riolu were at a safe enough distance.

“I’ll take it from here, you two. Good work,” Yamaguchi cheered, petting each on their head respectively.

Popplio blew a few large happy bubbles while Riolu purred in joy. Once more Eevee looked on at Riolu in jealousy. Yamaguchi chose to ignore it. Best not feed into the behavior.

Once the berries were at a good simmer, Yamagishi checked back up on Eevee and Swirlix. They had accomplished mixing a very fine batter to pour over the cooking berries. He gave the batter a small taste test, giving a humm of approval.

“Good work you two,” Yamagishi hummed, petting each on the head. “You showed some great teamwork.”

Eevee trilled in joy at the praise. She rubbed her head into Yamaguchi’s hand as if to ask for more pets.

“Why don’t you two help me pour the batter over the berries so we can get this cobbler made?” Yamaguchi said, pulling his hands away from both Eevee and Swirlix. “It’s not quite yet done.”

Swirlix barked in agreement as Eevee gave a pout but went along anyway.

The three made their way back to the fire where Popplio and Riolu waited, watching over the simmering berries. The two greeted Swirlix and Eevee with happy cries. Eevee acknowledged Popplio but snubbed Riolu. Yamaguchi hoped the teamwork of making the cobbler would make Eevee come around in the end.

Yamaguchi poured the mixture Eevee and Swirlix had made over the berries and placed the lid on top of it. “Now we gently set it into the fire and let it cook,” he explained before carefully dropping the pot into the fire. As he did so he heard a loud scream come from Eevee and before he could react something pushed him from behind. It was a feat that Yamaguchi had been able to dodge falling face first into the fire and an even greater feat that he didn’t spill any of the cobbler but in doing so he had used his arm to prevent the hot pot from spilling.

“Ouch!” Yamaguchi yelled as the pot seared the underside of his right forearm. Popplio and Swirlix gasped as they did their best to support their trainer. Yamaguchi quickly placed the pot on the floor as he grasped where the hot metal had touched his skin. In the same motion he turned to see what the upset was that causing him to fumble the pot. He had a good idea of what had caused it. “What is going on!” He scolded much harsher than he met.

What he found shocked him. Eevee had Riolu pinned to the floor. She must have bumped into Yamaguchi in her attempt to tackle Riolu. Riolu, who was still currently pinned down by Eevee, didn’t look upset or afraid but only seemed shocked.

“Eevee, what are you doing? Get off of her!” Yamaguchi scolded, doing his best to keep calm. The burning sensation on his forearm made it quite difficult.

Eevee turned and gave a frustrated squeaky growl at Yamaguchi. This shocked both Yamaguchi and the rest of the team. None had ever expected Eevee to lash out as such to her beloved trainer. It only took a moment for Eevee to realize her mistake. She immediately back off Riolu, as her eyes landed on Yamaguchi’s arm. The next moment she deflated looking from Yamaguchi’s arm to his face.

Unable to stop himself, Yamaguchi sent Eevee a very concerned yet disappointed look. This seemed to strike home with Eevee for she back away from Yamaguchi and the others. A small whimper rumbled in her throat as she did so.

“Eevee,” Yamaguchi whispered, his disappointment now replaced with worry.

Before anymore could be said, Eevee, looking quite ashamed, turned tail and rain into the woods.

“Eevee!” Yamaguchi called after her, his tone filled to the brim with worry.

The other three also released a variety of worried barks as they watched their sister disappear into the woods.

Yamaguchi felt his heart break. Perhaps he had been too hard on Eevee. Expecting her to grow up all at once was perhaps too much to suddenly thrown on her. Maybe Tsukki was right. Maybe he had been coddling Eevee too much from the start. He should have known he was going to mess this up as well.

Yamaguchi gave his head a small shake. He could worry about where he had gone wrong later. Now he needed to find Eevee before something else finds her first. That small shiny Pokemon was a magnet for trouble.

“Swirlix, Popplio, you two take that end of the camp and I’ll go this way,” Yamaguchi instructed, pointing to where they would search. “I’ll check this area,” he said pointing to where Eevee had vanished into the woods. “Riolu, you better stay here and watch over the camp. If any of you find Eevee keep her here at the camp.”

All three Pokemon nodded in understanding. Swirlix and Popplio jumped into action, heading right into the woods. Riolu looked quite distraught. Yamaguchi could tell she wanted to go and reconcile with Eevee.

“Don’t worry, Riolu. You didn’t do anything wrong. Eevee’s just having a hard time learning to share is all,” Yamaguchi gently insisted as he stroked Riolu’s head. “Stay here and watch over the campsite, okay. I’m entrusting it’s safety to you.”

Riolu looked disappointed but nodded nonetheless.

“It’s going to be okay. Don’t you worry,” Yamaguchi cheered, giving Riolu’s head another soft pat.

Riolu gave a small purr, leaning into the Yamaguchi’s hand.

“I’ll be back with Eevee soon,” Yamaguchi hummed, as he stood up and heading into the woods. Riolu barked after him as if to say ‘be safe.’

Yamaguchi was not the best at finding his way around. He knew this better than anyone else but at the moment it didn’t matter. He needed to find Eevee no matter what. Eevee was small and still untrained in battle. If he didn’t hurry she would get hurt.

Yamaguchi dodged branches, tripped over roots, and limboed his way through the brush. All the while he called out for Eevee. He listened every few seconds for any sign of his beloved shiny Pokemon. Only a few minutes passed when Yamaguchi heard a cry that sounded very much like Eevee.

“Eevee!” Yamaguchi gasped as he turned the direction of where he heard the cry.

A small bush to his left gave a sudden shake as if whoever was inside it was startled by his voice. It then went silent.

Yamaguchi strode over the small bush that Eevee was hiding within and crouched down. “Eevee, come on out,” Yamaguchi gently cooed, not making to grab for her yet.

A small whimper came from the bush but Eevee did not make a move to come out.

“I’m not mad at you, Eevee,” Yamaguchi gently carried on. “No one is mad at you. We are all worried so please come out,” He tried again.

Eevee gave a small uncertain whine.

“Do I need to come in there and get you?” Yamaguchi gently asked.

No reply came from Eevee.

With a small sigh, Yamaguchi reached into the bush. It didn’t take him long to loop his arm around Eevee. As he pulled Eevee out of the bush she did not resist him. Leaves and twigs stuck in her bushy mane as he extracted her from her hiding spot.

“Oh, Eevee,” Yamaguchi sighed with affection as he held her close. “I’m sorry I yelled at you,” he hummed doing his best to keep a steady voice.

Eevee gave a small sad trill as she nuzzled his neck needily.

“But you know why you were in trouble, don’t you?” Yamaguchi softly asked as he looked down at Eevee.

Eevee gave a small pout that read she understood.

“You can’t go attacking your teammates like that,” Yamaguchi calmly explained to her. “We are all a team here and we need to work together, that includes you,” and as he said you he gave her a boop on the nose.

Eevee gave a small happy trill at the small show of affection.

“Promise me you won’t attack anyone anymore,” Yamaguchi said in a serious yet babyish voice.

Eevee pouted once more but nodded in understanding.

“Good girl,” Yamaguchi praised, giving her another affectionate hug.

Eevee seemed to enjoy the closeness. Her eyes than landed on Yamaguchi’s burnt arm. Yamaguchi himself had almost forgotten about it. With the sudden rush of adrenalin, the pain he felt went to the wayside.

The spot where the pot had seared his arm was now forming a small inch sized blister. This wasn’t the first time Yamaguchi had burnt himself baking. Eevee looked quite guilty as she studied the forming blister.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be okay,” Yamaguchi insisted calmly ruffling Eevee’s head. “It’s just a small burn.”

Eevee looked unsure as she cuddled closer to Yamaguchi as if to comfort him.

“You’re growing up so fast, Eevee,” Yamaguchi sighed. “As much as I would love to keep you as my little Eevee forever, soon you too will have to start being more independent.”

Eevee looked to Yamaguchi with uncertainty. She seemed to only understand what Yamaguchi meant a bit.

“I promise to go slower with you from now on,” He hummed, hugging her close once again.

Eevee trilled in joy.

With that the two headed back to the campsite. By the time they arrived back Popplio and Swirlix had already returned from their search. Along with Riolu, the three pokemon cried in joy upon their return.

Eevee seemed embarrassed and still mildly ashamed of her prior behavior. She hid her face in Yamaguchi’s arm as she refused to look anyone in the eye. With a half sigh half laugh, Yamaguchi placed Eevee in front of Riolu.

“Do you have something to say, Eevee?” Yamaguchi gently asked.

Eevee pouted looking to him as if to ask if she really had to. Yamaguchi only nodded.

Riolu looked absolutely happy to see Eevee return. With a small pout on her face, Eevee squeaked a small, what Yamaguchi assumed to be, ‘sorry’. Riolu gave a joyful bark before tackling Eevee into a large hug. Eevee gave a surprised yap as she pried herself from the hug and scrambled behind Yamaguchi. She didn’t seem at all interested in such physical contact. Yamaguchi couldn’t help but imagine Tsukki doing the same thing If someone like Hinata tried to hug him.

Scooping Eevee in to his arms, the mall group laughed. Eevee pouted with embarrassment in Yamaguchi’s arms all the while. With a little bit of work every day, Yamaguchi was confident that everything would be okay.

Now that all was said and done, the small group wasted no time in finishing up their cobbler. Yamaguchi placed it in the fire and before long it was ready to be dug into.

Almost as if attracted by the smell of the sweet treat, Tsukki arrived back at the campsite early, just as the cobbler was ready to be served.

“You’re done early,” Yamaguchi hummed as Tsukishima loomed over his shoulder to see what it was Yamagishi had made. The feel of Tsukki’s chest gently brushing against his back made Yamaguchi’s heart go all a flutter.

“Dessert for tonight?” Tsukishima replied, his eyes holding a rare shine in them as he examined the sweet treat.

“It’s a Pecha Berry cobbler we all made together,” Yamaguchi replied as he tried to ignore the butterflies in his stomach.

“Smells good,” Tsukishima hummed as he back off a bit. Yamaguchi could tell from his tone that he was excited to give it a try.

“You’ll have to wait until after dinner,” Yamaguchi scolded, almost like a mother.

“Who said I wanted to eat it now?” Tsukishima flatly replied as he did his best to hide his yearning to dig into the sweet treat. He could not fool Yamaguchi.

“Right…” Yamaguchi laughed.

“Shut up, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima grumbled in embarrassment.

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi replied in habit.

It was in that moment that Tsukishima noticed Yamaguchi’s arm. His eyes zeroed in on the fully formed blister. “Did you hurt yourself again?” Tsukishima sighed as he tried not to sound too concerned.

“Yeah, I guess,” Yamaguchi shrugged, doing his best to brush it off. “Just bumped the hot pot is all.”

“I can’t leave you alone, can I?” Tsukishima sighed. “How come you haven’t treated it yet?” He asked, sounding mildly upset with Yamaguchi.

“I haven’t had a moment to quite yet,” Yamaguchi replied, he knew Tsukki was about to scold him more.

Tsukishima sighed as he gently grabbed for Yamaguchi’s uninjured arm. He carefully guided Yamaguchi over to his bag motioning for him to sit down. Yamaguchi did as he was told, sitting down next to the bag. Tsukishima rummaged through his backpack before extracting a small tube of burn cream and a small alcohol wipe packet. Without a word he pulled Yamaguchi’s injured arm into his lap and gave it a thorough examination.

“It’s doesn’t look too bad,” Tsukishima flatly spoke and he rubbed the area down with an alcohol wipe.

“I told you it wasn’t a big deal,” Yamaguchi mumbled in embarrassment. Tsukishima’s gentle fingers left Yamaguchi’s skin all tingly wherever he touched.

“You need to take better care of yourself,” Tsukishima scolded, his tone not too sharp. “This is why I can’t leave you alone,” he added in a low mumble before applying the cream to the burn area.

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi whispered as he did his darn best not to blush. He looked to the side, trying not to make eye contact with Tsukki. Tsukki was surprisingly gentle as he applied the cream and it caused all sorts of fluttery feeling to erupt in Yamaguchi’s chest.

“Be more careful next time. I’m sick of coming back from practicing and finding you injured,” Tsukishima flatly instructed as he finished the job.

“I don’t hurt myself that often,” Yamaguchi retorted with a small pout.

Tsukishima replied with one of his sassy smirks and a breathy laugh as he stood up.

“I don’t!” Yamaguchi wind as his pout became more prominent.

“Whatever you say, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima sassed as he placed the tube of cream back into his bag.

Whenever Tsukki teased him there was always a light-hearted edge to it that Tsukki reserved only for Yamaguchi. He could not help but smile as he watched Tsukki settle in for the night. He couldn’t help but feel grateful, blessed even, for having Tsukki as his best friend.

The rest of the afternoon passed by calmly. Eevee didn’t growl or hiss at Riolu even once, though she did keep her distance. She only begged to be held by Yamaguchi a few times and when it was time for Yamaguchi to cook she made due with Tsukki as her snuggle buddy. She wasn’t anywhere near being weaned off of being babied but it was definitely a start.

It was late evening when all three trainers finally had a chance to sit around the fire and relax. Yamaguchi had served each Pokemon and trainer a small bowl of freshly made pecha berry cobbler. Despite the upset earlier in the day the cobbler had been a success.

“Wow, this is super amazing, Yamaguchi,” Kanoka sang as she dug in to the treat.

Tsukishima gave a hum of agreement before taking another large bite.

“Thanks but it’s not me you should be praising,” Yamaguchi laughed as he too enjoyed the dessert. “It was mostly my team that accomplished tonight’s dessert.”

“Wow, so was this practice for an upcoming showcase or something?” Kanoka asked.

“Nah,” Yamaguchi said with a small shake of his head. “More like good old team building.”

“Oh, right,” Kanoka replied with a small laugh. “Eevee and Riolu?”

“Well, all four participated but Eevee and Riolu are what inspired the idea,” Yamaguchi confirmed. “I didn’t realize their conflict with each other was that obvious.”

“How can it not be with the amount of times Eevee glares at Riolu,” Tsukishima flatly pointed out.

“I have no clue why she is so agitated about Riolu being on my team,” Yamaguchi mumbled in thought. “I mean, Riolu hasn’t done a thing to Eevee so it just doesn’t make sense. On top of that, Eevee gets along with Popplio and Swirlix just fine.”

“Quite strange indeed,” Kanoka agreed as she too tried to puzzle together the cause of the strange behaviors.

“She’s obviously jealous,” Tsukishima grumbled, catching the attention of the other two. “Doesn’t want to share you with Riolu.”

“But why?” Yamaguchi pressed, wondering if Tsukki might have an idea.

“Isn’t it obvious, Riolu is a baby Pokemon, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima pointed out with a hint of snark. “Eevee wants to be the only baby. It’s classic sibling rivalry.”

“A baby Pokemon?” Yamaguchi echoed in thought. It hadn’t even occurred to him that this might be the case.

“Oh right, maybe that’s it,” Kanoka agreed. “It’s like how me and my sister used to argue for attention when we were small,” she laughed as she reminisced her younger years.

Yamaguchi looked down at Eevee who was currently digging in to the small bit of cobbler Yamaguchi had given her. His brow furrowed in worry for he was an only child. He hadn’t ever had to deal with sibling problems. He did know a bit from interacting with Tsukki and his brother growing up though but never experienced it for himself.

“Don’t worry, Yamaguchi,” Kanoka hummed. “With time I’m sure Eevee and Riolu will be the best of friends. Just give them time.”

“Right, time,” Yamaguchi sighed, wondering just how much time it would take. He had to admit that he was relieved to finally came to a conclusion as to why Eevee was behaving so poorly towards Riolu. Eevee may be difficult now but Yamaguchi was certain that she would come around to Riolu eventually.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my! What an upet. Looks like little Eevee is growing up to be quite the handful. Will Yamaguchi be able to guide her down the path of success? Will Eevee and Riolu ever be able to get along? That and more will be answered if you stay tuned.
> 
> Hey all! So I have officially moved to my new place so that means I should be able to hopefully get back to regular updates. I am not sure quite yet what the update schedule will look like. I am about to also start a new job so I hope to still post one new chapter a week but we will have to see. I should know by June what my everyday schedule is going to look like.
> 
> As always I want to think you all for hanging around even though I had to take a short break. I really do appreciate all you readers and your feedback really came through and encouraged me to come back here asap and keep writing. Let me know what you think about this latest chapter and the fic as a whole. I also want to thank any and all kudos, likes and follows on this fic. Any sort of feedback is great.
> 
> I am very excited to find time to write yet again. I’m about to enter another part of the fic that I am very excited to write and share with you all so please bare with me for more exciting things are to come down the line.
> 
> That’s all for now! See you next chapter!


	32. Cyllage City

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Chapter 32 is good and ready for reading! I hope you enjoy. I wonder who we are going to meet in this chapter.
> 
> The song I recommend for this chapter is definitely the Cyllage City theme. Not only because the chapter is set in Cyllage City but the upbeat song goes well with the antics of this chapter!
> 
> I would like to thank ninalover359 (Their tumblr name) for taking time to beta this chapter. I appreciate their hard work so let’s all thank them :)
> 
> Any Artwork you may see associated with this fic (on AO3, FF.net or Tumblr) has all be created by my good friend SlothyClaws. That is their instagram page.They also have a website (sirena.artstation.com). They do commissions and their commissions are open to anyone that is interested. Go and give their page a look if you are interested.
> 
> That is all for now! I choose you, Chapter 32!

From the moment that the three entered Cyllage City Yamaguchi could tell that Kanoka had become exponentially more nervous. Whether Tsukki was picking up on it or not, Yamaguchi didn’t know. Several times he wanted to comfort her but a part of him thought it would be better not to bring up childhood crushes around Tsukki. He feared to know what would happen if it got out that he harbored more than like feelings for this blond best friend.

It was late noon when the three trainers made it to the city’s Pokemon Center. They deposited their Pokemon to Nurse Joy before settling down for a quick bite while they waited. Kanoka looked just as nervous now as she had when they entered the city. 

Tsukishima didn’t seem to be bothered by her off behavior, probably writing it off as nerves for the upcoming gym battle, but Yamaguchi had an inkling that her nerves came from something more than just a gym battle.

“So will you two be going to the gym for your battle today?” Yamaguchi asked, unsure what else to say. The other two trainers seemed slightly distracted, taking a moment each to process the question.

“I’ll go tomorrow,” Tsukishima flatly replied. “It’s most likely too late to schedule in a battle for today.”

“M-Me, too!” Kanoka sputtered, winning her a very questioning look from Tsukishima. “Tomorrow it is! Hehehe!” as she spoke she tried and failed to act normal.

Yamaguchi felt a heap of second hand embarrassment for Kanoka. “I’m sure it’s going to be just fine,” Yamaguchi insisted, doing his best to be supportive.

“You really think so?” Kanoka asked, her tone breathy and unsure. “What if he doesn’t remember me?”

Tsukishima lifted an eyebrow, looking between Kanoka and Yamaguchi.

“He will,” Yamaguchi reassured, hoping to god that her childhood friend hadn’t forgotten who she was. If Tsukki ever forgot him, Yamaguchi knew he would surely die from heartbreak.

Kanoka sent Yamaguchi her best confident smile. The corner of her lips strained with uncertainty as she smiled.

Tsukishima looked between the two once more before shrugging it off. “I don’t want to know,” he grumbled before either trainer could explain. He could already tell that whatever it was, it was far too complicated and annoying for him to care.

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi sighed, reading loud and clear that Tsukki was bothered.

“Tsukishima, it’s just-“ Kanoka began, obviously worried over Tsukishima’s annoyance.

“I said I don’t want to know,” Tsukishima cut in before anymore could be said. He then swiftly stood, not bothering to look at either Kanoka or Yamaguchi. “I’ll be training this afternoon.”

“Will you be back for dinner?” Yamaguchi asked, studying Tsukki carefully to see how annoyed he was.

“Should be,” Tsukishima curtly replied. He didn’t seem too annoyed at anyone in particular; just his normal generally annoyed self.

“See you this evening then,” Yamaguchi said with a relieved smile.

Tsukishima replied with a small nod, his annoyance petering away ever so slightly. He then turned on his heel and made for the exit.

“I hope he isn’t mad,” Kanoka sighed, watching as Tsukishima exited the building.

“He’ll be fine,” Yamaguchi gently brushed off. “So, are you going to practice this afternoon?”

“Maybe…. I don’t know,” Kanoka sighed, her brow furrowed in worry. “I guess I’m just feeling anxious. I don’t really know what to do.”

“You’re welcome to join me in town, if you want,” Yamaguchi suggested. “I hear Kiyoko Shimizu is here to do a signing and I was thinking of getting one for a friend of mine if I’m not too late.”

“Kiyoko?” Kanoka asked, knowing she had heard the name but can’t remember from where.

“Yeah, she is the current Kalos Queen,” Yamaguchi explained. “I’m also hoping to maybe get a tip or two from her if I am lucky.”

“Oh right, I remember seeing her on TV before, I think,” Kanoka hummed with a nod. “She is that pretty lady with the beauty mark, right.”

“Yup, that’s her,” Yamaguchi replied with a nod. “Want to join?”

“I suppose it might help me take my mind off things,” Kanoka gave a tentative nod.

It wasn’t long before the two trainers gathered up their Pokemon and headed into to town. With Eevee in his arms Yamaguchi did his best to orient himself before Kanoka took the lead.

“I hope the line to meet Kiyoko isn’t too long,” Yamaguchi hummed in mild worry. It was late in the afternoon already and he knew the prospect of them meeting with Kiyoko was probably not likely but it would be worth it to get a signature for Yachi.

“So, do you think you’re ready to see your friend?” Yamaguchi asked as the two made their way through the town.

“I s-suppose I am,” Kanoka nervously laughed. “Just a bit nervous… if you couldn’t tell.”

“N-no, you’ve been fine,” Yamaguchi lied, not wanting to discourage Kanoka.

Kanoka shot him a very disbelieving glance. “Well, I just hope I can get it together when I see him tomorrow,” she sighed loudly. “The last thing I want to do is make a fool of myself after all these years.”

“You guys sounded close so I bet it’s going to be just fine,” Yamaguchi reassured.

“I guess,” Kanoka mumbled, not sounding convinced. “I mean, he is just so cool, flashy and kind but I’m none of that. He’s probably forgotten all about me.”

“No way, you’re super cool too, Kanoka,” Yamaguchi insisted a bit too earnestly. Eevee gave a small trill of agreement.

“You’re just saying that because you’re my friend,” Kanoka pouted.

Yamaguchi opened his mouth to retort but was cut off by someone shouting his name.

“Yamaguchi! Is that you?!” Came the voice of none other than Nishinoya.

Yamaguchi did a odd sort of spin in an attempt to locate Noya.

“Oh no! It’s him!” Kanoka gasped loudly, grabbing Yamaguchi by the shoulders and jumping behind him.

“Noya?” Yamaguchi asked, shocked. As Kanoka held him still he was able to see Noya bounding his way followed closely by a scary looking trainer with a shaved head.

“No! The taller one! That’s him! Tanaka!” Kanoka squeaked as she ducked behind Yamaguchi. 

“Yamaguchi! Long time no see,” Noya shouted as he and Tanaka came closer.

“I’m just not ready!” Kanoka cried before she tore herself from Yamaguchi and ran down an alley.

“Kanoka!” Yamaguchi gasped as he watched her disappear behind a corner. He then turned to find Noya almost nose to nose with him.

“Who was she!?” Noya asked a bit too interested. “She looked cute!”

“Hey, Noya!” Yamaguchi greeted awkwardy, unsure if he should have gone after Kanoka.

“Hey!” Tanaka greeted in what came across to Yamaguchi as an aggressive tone. The bald trainer had a smile and a face that remind Yamaguchi of a Sharpedo.

Yamaguchi gave a shy nervous nod, still a bit unsure of Tanaka.

“This is him, Tanaka!” Noya proudly introduced as he pushed Yamaguchi up into Tanaka’s face. “He’s the guy in the forest I told you about!”

“Oh, you’re much taller in person than on TV,” Tanaka greeted as he gave Yamaguchi’s shoulder a very sharp sturdy pat. “Name’s Tanaka! Noya told me all about you!”

“H-He has?” Yamaguchi stuttered, a little confused as to what was going on. “I-I mean, you c-can call me Yamaguchi!” he corrected quickly.

“Well it’s nice to finally meet you, Yamaguchi!” Tanaka said with another strong pat to Yamaguchi’s shoulder. Yamaguchi did his best not to stumble as Tanaka patted his back.

“N-Noya’s talked about me?” Yamaguchi eeped, wondering why Noya would ever talk about him to others.

“Yep! Told me all about how he inspired you to do showcases,” Tanaka replied with a sharp toothy smile.

Yamaguchi looked to Noya to find the shorter trainer smiling brightly. He couldn’t bring himself to deny them. “Y-Yeah, he showed me a routine in the forest once,” Yamaguchi agreed with a breathy laugh.

“Yup, showed him everything I know!” Noya laughed as he gave Yamaguchi’s other shoulder a strong pat.

Yamaguchi wasn’t one for so much aggressive affection but he took the friendly banter nonetheless. 

“I saw you in your first showcase, Yamaguchi! That last move was amazing,” Noya carried on in excitement. “Did you make that move up all on your own?”

“Th-thanks,” Yamaguchi shyly replied, still a bit overwhelmed by the current situation. “Y-Yeah, it’s something I came up with I guess.”

“It was definitely what I call a show stopper,” Noya hooted with excitement. “I knew I saw something in you when we first met.

“It was nothing special,” Yamaguchi said with a bright blush. 

“So modest,” Tanaka gumbled jovially. He gave Yamaguchi another hard pat. 

Yamaguchi’s shoulders were beginning to ache from all the rough affection.

“So what brings you to Cyllage City!?” Noya asked as he backed up to give Yamaguchi some space.

“You here to see the goddess of all of Kalos, too?” Tanaka asked with hearts in his eyes.

“Goddess of Kalos?” Yamaguchi echoed with a tilt of his head.

“The Goddess of Kalos,” Tanaka repeated with a dream gusto. “With her milky smooth skin and silky black hair.”

“Her cool demeanor yet she still sparkles like the sun,” Noya added on in a similar dreamy manner.

“Are you talking about Shimizu?” Yamaguchi cherped, tilting his head the other way.

“How dare you speak of her name so casually!” Tanaka barked, causing Yamaguchi to jump back a bit. “You didn’t come here to make a move on her, did you!?” Tanaka aggressively asked, getting far too close to Yamaguchi once more.

“What!? N-No!” Yamaguchi squeaked in surprise, backing away from the snarling Tanaka.

“Hey, Bro, he’s cool,” Noya insisted as he pulled Tanaka out of Yamaguchi’s face. “This one is already taken anyways,” he added with a bright smile.

Tanaka studied Yamaguchi with a sharp eye as he backed off. “If you say so…” He grumbled after a moment.

“Y-yes! I-I’m taken!” Yamaguchi insisted, not really thinking through what he just said.

Tanaka smiled once more as he slung an arm around Yamaguchi’s shoulder, pulling him close. “So, who is the lucky girl?” Tanaka growled like a happy uncle catching up with his nephew. “Was it that tall beauty you were with?”

“W-What?” Yamaguchi asked in shock, his cheeks going pink. “M-Me and Kanoka!? N-No way,” he insisted, hoping to god Tsukki wasn’t anywhere near to hear this conversation.

“Nah, he’s smitten with the tall blond guy with the attitude I told you about,” Noya laughed, causing Yamaguchi's cheeks to go bright red. “Unless you and Blondie have gone your separate ways…”

“T-Tsukki and I are still together!” Yamaguchi replied a bit too quickly. “I-I mean t-traveling together!” he quickly corrected, his cheeks going bright red. This whole conversation of who he was with was starting to make him dizzy.

“Right!” Tanaka laughed, giving Yamaguchi a playful nudge of the shoulder.

“So it looks like you and Tsukishima have picked up a new travel partner?” Noya brightly asked. “Kanoka was her name?”

“Yeah, I guess she has been traveling with us the past week or so,” Yamaguchi nodded, wanting to slip out of Tanaka’s hold but equally not wanting to insult him. “She is currently collecting gym badges like Tsukki.”

“Well she looks like quite the catch,” Noya smiled with a thumbs up. “Too bad she is wasting herself on you two,” he added in a joking manner.

Yamaguchi’s cheeks went pink once more from the comment.

“So, your two travel companions have come to challenge me!?” Tanaka barked in excitement, finally releasing Yamaguchi from his death hold.

“You?” Yamaguchi mumbled, slightly confused.

“Yeah, Tanaka here is the leader of the Cyllage Gym,” Noya said proudly.

“You’re the gym leader!?” Yamaguchi gasped, his mouth open like a dead fish. Did Kanoka know Tanaka was the gym leader?

“Yep! You’re two friends will have to defeat me to win the Cliff badge,” Tanaka nodded in a very competitive manner. “So I hope they are ready for a challenge.”

“They are both very strong trainers!” Yamaguchi earnestly insisted. “Especially Kanoka, she is sure to give you a good challenge,” he added, hoping to see if Tanaka recognised the name.

“Well, now I am even more excited to take her on!” Tanaka cheered, not seeming to react in a way like he recognised the name.

“Y-Yeah, Kanoka is super strong,” Yamaguchi reiterated, unsure if he should just tell Tanaka who she was or if he should let Tanaka realize it for himself.

“Well, I guess I’ll need to drop by the gym tomorrow to see that battle,” Noya cut in, neither him or Tanaka taking much notice of Yamaguchi’s odd behaviour.

“Sounds good!” Yamaguchi replied with a strained smile, trying not to come across disappointed. He really was happy to see Noya again but worried for Kanoka. Tanaka doesn’t seem to remember her. Maybe once he sees her his memory will jog.

“Great!” Noya barked in joy, giving Yamaguchi another hearty pat. “Now, how’s about we see if we aren’t too late for the meet and greet with Kiyoko.”

“Oh, right!’ Yamaguchi replied, his cheeks turning red from almost forgetting what he was doing in the first place. 

With that the three trainers headed down the street. Tanaka and Noya flanked either side of Yamaguchi, both talking enthusiastically about their love for Kiyoko. Yamaguchi would nod and hum at every comment, unable to relate to their adoration in the same way. He made a mental note to introduce Noya to Yachi the next time he had a chance. She’d probably understand.

The sun was almost down when Yamaguchi made it back to the Pokemon Center hostel. Tsukki had yet to arrive back. Yamaguchi expected he would return at any moment. What he did find in their room was a very miserable Kanoka who was currently sprawled out face down at the small table.

“Hey, I’m back,” Yamaguchi greeted as cheerfully as he could.

“Gahhh!” Kanoka moaned in reply, not removing her forehead from the wooden surface of the table.

“So, how was your afternoon?” Yamaguchi awkwardly asked as he took a seat across from Kanoka.

“I’m a coward,” Kanoka replied with a pathetic groan. She lifted her head from the table to look at Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi was relieved to find that she hadn’t been crying.

“Hey, don’t say that,” Yamaguchi gently reassured. “These sorts of things are complicated.”

Kanoka gave a small nod, though a pout hung heavy on her lips. “What did he say?” she eventually asked, glancing up at Yamaguchi.

“Who? Tanaka?” Yamaguchi replied for clarification. “He and Noya, the other guy he was with, were on their way to meet Kiyoko as well.”

Kanoka deflated a bit as she released a small sigh. “Kiyoko is so pretty. How am I ever going to compete with that!”

“Compete with Kiyoko?” Yamaguchi almost laughed. “It’s not like those two stand a chance with her so don’t worry.”

Kanoka sent Yamaguchi a slightly annoyed glance.

“N-Not that Tanaka isn't worthy of her or anything,” Yamaguchi quickly corrected with a nervous laugh.

Kanoka sighed once more as she leaned back in her chair and looked up at the ceiling. “Did he say anything about me?” she eventually asked, not bothering to look back at Yamaguchi.

“I don’t think he got a good enough look at you,” Yamaguchi admisted, a bit nervous about telling Kanoka the truth.

“Hummm” Kanoka replied, her shoulders relaxing a bit. “What am I going to do if he doesn’t remember who I am. I’ll feel like an idiot…”

“I’m sure once he sees you properly he’ll remember. You two sounded pretty close when you were younger,” Yamaguchi assured. Tanaka couldn’t be that airheaded, could he?

“Yeah…” Kanoka mumbled, not sounding too convinced. 

“Just be honest and I’m sure his memory will be jogged,” Yamaguchi said with a bright smile. “Nothing to worry about.” 

“Not worrying. Funny coming from you,” Kanoka joked, looking from the ceiling to Yamaguchi.

“Hey, I can’t help it if I have a nervous nature,” Yamaguchi replied with a playful pout.

Kanoka gave a small giggle that was followed by a slightly less sorrowful sigh. “Thanks for the talk, Yamaguchi.”

“Anytime, Kanoka.” Yamaguchi brightly replied. He always did enjoy helping his friends.

“And when you’re finally ready to confess to Tsukishima I will be here for you,” Kanoka added with a teasing smile.

“What!?” Yamaguchi sputtered, almost falling out of his chair.

As if on queue, Tsukishima entered through the door just at Yamaguchi caught himself from falling. With Kanoka giggling uncontrollably and Yamaguchi pulling himself back into his chair Tsukishima sent them both a suspicious glance. 

 

“Did I interrupt something?” Tsukishima grumbled, his eyes lingering on a blushing Yamaguchi.

“N-No!” Yamaguchi barked in haste. “Nothing! You’ve interrupted nothing! Everything fine!” He sputtered, stumbling over his words.

Tsukishima didn’t seem convinced. Kanoka’s muffled giggles didn’t help.

“Who’s up for dinner?” Yamaguchi quickly asked, doing his best to act casual.

Tsukishima’s eyes lingered on him for a long moment before he replied. “Right… I guess I’m ready for dinner whenever,” he eventually huffed, giving up on trying to read the situation. 

“I’m definitely down to eat,” Kanoka said with a large smile. Yamaguchi was happy to see her less miserable even if it was at his expense.

“Great! I’ll cook you guys something delicious and nutritious to prep you for your gym battle tomorrow,” Yamaguchi cheered, standing from the table. “I’ll have Popplio come and get you guys when it’s almost done,” and with that Yamaguchi made for the door. He needed a moment to rest his poor heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What will Kanoka do? Will Tanaka recall who she is? Will the two old friends be able to reunite. Will this help settle Yamaguchi’s resolve with his feeling for Tsukki? That and more will be answered if you keep in reading.
> 
> Hello , everyone. Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedule to give this old fic a read. I should be able to update regularly for the next few months at least so expect to see a new chapter next week. I should mention that I am living in a different timezone than where I lived before (there is like a 17hr difference) so my new schedule is probably going to be a bit different from my old one. I am still going to shoot for weekends local for me.
> 
> As always, thank you all so much for taking the time to read this fic. I appreciate the bookmarks, kudos, follows and especially comments/reviews. If you have time please do drop a comment or review. Feedback is always great. I like to know how my readers react and such so don’t be shy.
> 
> Anyways, that is all for now. I will see you all next chapter.


	33. Cyllage Gym: Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope you are all doing well and are ready for chapter 33. It’s time for a Kanoka and Tanaka focused chapter! I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> As for a recommended track to go along with this chapter I feel like the Theme for Twinleaf Town would fit really nice for the opening of this chapter.
> 
> I would like to thank ninalover359 (Their tumblr name) for taking time to beta this chapter. I appreciate their hard work so let’s all thank them :)
> 
> Any Artwork you may see associated with this fic (on AO3, FF.net or Tumblr) has all be created by my good friend SlothyClaws. That is their instagram page.They also have a website (sirena.artstation.com). They do commissions and their commissions are open to anyone that is interested. Go and give their page a look if you are interested.
> 
> Chapter 33, I choose you!

A small girl no older than ten sat slumped against a tree on Sinnoh’s route 205. A small Turtwig sat at her side as she cried large wet tears. She had started her journey a month ago yet had next to nothing to show of it. She hadn’t caught a single pokemon and she had lost all three Pokemon Contest she had joined. She hadn’t even made it to the second round. She was a failure, a disaster, a disgrace to her family name.

Kanoka knew from day one that she was not cut out to be a top Coordinator like her mother was. Kanoka was decent in battle but had little to no finesse or stage presence and her lack of performance seemed to leak out onto Turtwig. She wasn’t as cute or pretty as the other girls who performed alongside her nor did she contain an ounce of charm like the boys she competed against. A tall, lanky, uncoordinated girl like her had no business on a stage performing. 

Another small sob left her throat once more as Turtwig did his best to comfort his beloved trainer. Kanoka felt her heart sink as she allowed Turtwig into her lap. What a laughable trainer she was being comforted like this by her pokemon. It was a wonder Turtwig even listened to her.

“Hey, why are you crying?” came a small gruff voice.

With a small jump Kanoka looked up. Through her tears she saw a boy with a buzzed head and sharp eyes looking down at her. While he had a stern look about him his eyes carried worry. It took Kanoka a moment but she recognized this boy as one of the kids who left for his journey on the same day she had. She recalled him telling Professor Rowan that he would be using his Geodude as his starting Pokemon as opposed to one of the normal starters given out to kids.

The boy patiently waited for an answer as he looked down at Kanoka.

“I… I…” Kanoka sputtered, unsure how to reply to the boy.

The boy took a seat next to Kanoka, leaning up on the same tree. “You don't have to tell me if you don’t want to,” he sighed as he looked up to the sky. 

Kanoka gave another small sniff, unsure why the boy was bothering talking to her. She wasn’t used to such kindness. 

“I… I can’t seem to win a single competition,” Kanoka finally sighed.

“Oh, you’re a Coordinator?” The boy perked up a bit as he spoke.

Kanoka gave a small shy nodd, still feeling quite ashamed. “No matter how hard I try I never make it past the first round,” Kanoka sighed.

“Yeah, gym battles have been rough on me and my Pokemon, too,” The boy sighed. “The path to victory can be so unforgiving but I refuse to give up,” he loudly declared.

Kanoka looked to the boy in a mix of shock and admiration. She wished she too could have such confidence.

The boy looked to her with a large toothy smile. “Name’s Tanaka Ryūnosuke. Sorry I didn’t properly introduce myself back at Professor Rowan’s. I was itching to get on the road that day!”

“I-I’m Amanai Kanoka,” Kanoka meekly replied. She couldn’t help but smile a bit at Tanaka’s earnest attitude.

“That’s what I like to see!” Tanaka grinned brightly. “You have a nice smile so you should wear it more often.”

Kanoka felt her cheeks go pink at the compliment. “Th-thank you,” she quietly replied. 

“Hey, what direction are you heading next?” Tanaka asked, perking up even more.

Kanoka thought for a long moment, not really sure where she was heading to next. “Nowhere in particular I guess,” she shrugged.

“Then why don’t you join me for a bit. Maybe we can help each other train,” Tanaka suggested his eyes on fire. “Your tears can’t fool me, I know you are a lot stronger than you’re letting on!”

Kanoka felt her heart give a small flutter. She had no clue what Tanaka was talking about but he looked at her with so much determination. She thought for a moment on how best to answer. “Traveling together sounds quite nice,” She agreed, with a bright smile of her own.

“That settles it then,” Tanaka said, jumping to his feet. “From here on out we are travel buddies,” as he spoke he reached his hand out for Kanoka to take. 

The bright sun shown from behind Tanaka almost like a halo around his head. Kanoka could not help but release a small gasp of amazement before taking the boy’s hand. With a strong pull, Tanaka pulled Kanoka onto her feet. The girl was much taller than he was but Tanaka didn’t seem to show any mind to it.

“Now no more tears!” Tanaka instructed strictly. “From here on out we are both going to walk with our heads high!” he said with a bright smile.

Kanoka felt a warmth spread from her heart. It was a new found determination. “Right, no more tears!” Kanoka agreed with a small giggle.

The year Kanoka had spent traveling Sinnoh with Tanaka had been the best of her life. Tanaka may not have realized it but he had saved Kanoka from giving up on her dreams that day. Even when the two parted, Kanoka cherished the year she had spent alongside Tanaka. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning was bright and warm. It was the perfect spring day and Yamaguchi could smell victory in the air. He was happy to see Kanoka had awoken with much brighter spirits. Her gaze was set and determined throughout all of breakfast. In deep concentration she hadn’t said much as they ate, leaving most of the conversation making to Yamaguchi and Tsukishima. Perhaps last night she had come to a resolution. Yamaguchi could not help but admire her strength.

The walk to the gym didn’t take long. Both Tsukishima and Kanoka walked in a confident silence that left Yamaguchi feeling pumped and ready to see what the two had planned for their individual battles. When they arrived to the gym they were greeted by a very familiar face.

“Yamaguchi!” Noya waved, shouting loudly as he gave a small jump.

Tsukishima immediately gave a small annoyed ‘tch’ but didn’t react any further.

“Noya!” Yamaguchi called back with a small wave of his own.

As the three approached the gym Noya’s eyes landed on Kanoka. Yamaguchi didn’t miss the glint of interest in Noya’s gaze as they lingered on the tall girl.

“Is this the Kanoka you were talking about yesterday?” Noya asked in unapologetic interest. 

“Yeah, she had been traveling with us for the past week or so,” Yamaguchi introduced, stepping aside so that the two could properly meet one another. Before Yamaguchi could say anymore Noya rushed passed him.

“Yamaguchi didn’t tell me he was traveling with such a beauty,” Noya cut in, scooting up close to Kanoka. “The name is Nishinoya Yū. Top quality Pokemon Showcase Contestant, at your service,” Noya introduced in a failed attempt at being smooth.

Tsukishima and Yamaguchi both stifled a laugh as Kanoka’s cheeks dusted pink.

“I-I’m Amanai Kanoka,” Kanoka replied with a shy giggle. “It’s nice to meet you Nishinoya.”

“Please, call me Noya,” Noya insisted, still trying to keep a smooth composure. “All my close friends do and since you are friend with Yamaguchi here, you are practically a friend of mine as well.”

“Yamaguchi barely knows you,” Tsukishima scoffed from beside Yamaguchi. “This is our second time meeting you.”

Yamaguchi stifled another laugh. Sometimes Tsukki was too much.

“Who asked you!” Noya snapped in reply. “Besides, Yamaguchi and I are connected through the strong bond of competition. When we first met it was as if we’d known each other for years!” Noya loudly insisted, slinging an arm around Yamaguchi and giving him a one armed bro hug. “Isn’t that right, Yamaguchi!”

“Y-Yeah!” Yamaguchi awkwardly replied, now quite sure how to react to the situation. 

Tsukishima replied with a loud scoff, unconvinced.

“Well, it is quite nice to meet you, Noya,” Kanoka cut in, severing the tension between the two. “I hope we can become good friends, too.”

“No doubt we will become fast friends,” Noya quickly replied, abandoning Yamaguchi all together to be beside Kanoka.

If this is how Noya acted around pretty girls like Kanoka he could only imagine what he would be like if given the chance to talk directly to Kyoko.

With introduction finally over, Noya lead the three into the gym. “So who’s up first!?” Noya asked once they were in the gym.

“I will go first,” Tsukishima spoke up, stepping forward as he did so.

“It’s more gentleman like to let ladies go first,” Noya criticized, sending Tsukishima a look.

Tsukishima released an annoyed ‘tch’ but before anymore could be said Kanoka swiftly cut in. “I don’t mind going second!” she insisted. “Watching Tsukishima battle might help set my heart at ease a little.”

“The lady has spoken,” Noya hummed in an upbeat manner. “In that case Tsukishima may enter the arena,” he instructed, motioning to two large doors. “Us three shall head to the bleachers.”

Tsukishima gave a small nod of understanding before heading to the doors.

“Good luck, Tsukki!” Yamaguchi called after.

Tsukishima paused for only a moment, giving a small nod but not turning around. He then disappeared behind the double doors. Yamaguchi’s eyes lingered on the doors as they shut behind Tsukki.

“I bet you’re encouragement made him blush, that’s why he didn’t turn around,” Kanoka giggled into his ear.

Yamaguchi went bright red as he released a small squeak of embarrassment but managed to mumble an almost incoherent “Tsukki is always this aloof.”

Kanoka giggled once more at Noya looked at the two in suspicion.

“If you two are done telling secrets we can now head to the spectator stands,” Noya mumbled in mild annoyance.

“R-Right,” Yamaguchi sputtered as he rushed past Noya to the stands, his cheeks still dusted red. 

Once at the bleachers Yamaguchi sat between Kanoka and Noya. Tsukki was already on his end of the field preparing himself for battle. Tanaka had yet to enter the stadium. Yamaguchi took notice of Kanoka’s fixed determined gaze as she looked to the side of the field where Tanaka was sure to enter.

“Oh boy I can’t wait to see Tanaka teach Tsukishima a lesson!” Noya laughed from beside Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi gave an insalted ‘humph’ as he shot a look to Noya. “There is no way Tsukki is going to lose,” Yamaguchi protested. 

“Oh yeah, Tanaka is one of the strongest trainers I know!” Noya shot back with a confident nod. “Tsukishima won’t know what hit him!”

“Tanaka is the one who is going to be surprised!” Yamaguchi argued back. He believed full in Tsukki’s ability.

“We will just have to see,” Noya laughed, seemingly enjoying Yamaguchi’s competitive side.

It was then that the doors to the Gym Leader’s side of the arena opened. As Tanaka entered the stage Yamaguchi heard Kanoka give a small gasp. Her eyes almost held stars in them as she watched Tanaka greet Tsukishima. Yamaguchi couldn’t help but wonder if he had the same stars in his eyes when he was looking at Tsukki. The idea set his cheeks pink.

Within the blink of an eye the battle between Tsukishima and Tanaka was underway.Tanaka call forth an Alolan Geodude while Tsukishima called for his Frogadier. The battle between the two Pokemon was very much one sided. Frogadier hoped around the field with such ease Yamaguchi was amazed. Even when Geodude tried any electric attack on Frogadier they never landed. Tsukishima’s commands and Frogadier movements were in such unison that it was like they were almost one mind. Tsukki really had been training hard with Frogadier.

Every now and then, when Geodude took a hit, Yamaguchi would hear Kanoka give a small gasp. It wasn’t long before Geodude was unable to battle.

“If it weren’t for the type advantage Tanaka would have won this!” Noya mumbled.

“Tsukki would win even if he were using a fire type against Geodude!” Yamaguchi snapped back. No one was going to belittle Tsukki’s hard work under his watch.

“You are a lot stronger than I expected,” Tanaka said with a huff, not showing too much frustration over his loss. “Come on out Onix!” He shouted as he summoned his next Pokemon.

Tsukishima chose to keep Frogadier in battle. He eye were set and determined. Yamaguchi could tell that Tsukki was in no doubt going to win. He could not help but smile at the confidence of his best friend.

It didn’t take Frogadier long to get an upper hand on Onix and the next thing they knew Onix was unable to battle. Yamaguchi gave a loud woop from the stands as the announcer declared Tsukishima the winner of the gym battle.

“He got lucky having such a strong water type on his side,” Noya pouted. 

“No one is better at battles than Tsukki,” Yamaguchi boasted loudly. He could feel Tsukishima shooting him a look from the field as he did so.

“Well, looks like I’m up next,” Kanoka announced as she stood from her seat. 

Yamaguchi looked to find her carrying a very determined expression. He was relieved to see that she was not showing any signs of nervousness. 

“Even if he doesn't recall who I am I will walk with my head held high,” Kanoka declared bravely. 

Yamaguchi smiled, envying how brave Kanoka was to not only face a gym battle but also the prospect of the one she love not returning her feelings. “You got this,” Yamaguchi said with an encouraging smile.

Kanoka looked to Yamaguchi with one last soft smile, her eyes not losing their determination. With that she exited the stands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my, folks! Here it comes! Will Tanaka recall who Kanoka is? Will the two unite as a loving couple? Will Kanoka win her next gym badge? That and more will be answered if you stay tuned!!!
> 
> So the next chapter should be up as normal next week. I hope you guys are enjoying the little Tanaka Kanoka side story here. It was so much fun to write and I just adore these two so much! Their story in the manga is just so sweet I couldn’t help but re-purpose it for this Pokemon AU.
> 
> As always, thank you all so much for you kind bookmarks, follows, kudos and reviews. Feedback from readers is ALWAYS great for any fic writer so please do leave me some feedback in the comment section below. I’d love to hear from you.
> 
> Well, that is all for now! See you next chapter!


	34. Cyllage Gym: Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The time has come, folks! Will Tanaka and Kanoka’s reunion go smoothly!? Let’s find out!
> 
> With this chapter the best theme to accompany it while you read is definitely N’s Farewell. It fits well with the beginning and ending of the chapter so please do give the song a listen to while reading. You won’t regret it. Here is a beautiful cover of the song by one of my favorite Pokemon remixers, HoopsandHipHop (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPg_pxCRO7Y).
> 
> I would like to thank ninalover359 (Their tumblr name) for taking time to beta this chapter. I appreciate their hard work so let’s all thank them :)
> 
> Any Artwork you may see associated with this fic (on AO3, FF.net or Tumblr) has all be created by my good friend SlothyClaws. That is their instagram page.They also have a website (sirena.artstation.com). They do commissions and their commissions are open to anyone that is interested. Go and give their page a look if you are interested.
> 
> I choose you, chapter 24!

Kanoka hadn't made it to the Grand Festival that year. She had only won two ribbons in the year she had spent traveling along side Tanaka. The two trainers had shared both joy and pain in battles and had grown at trainers as a result. They had been there to support each other even through the toughest of challenges and Kanoka was almost certain she never would have made it this far if she hadn’t met Tanaka.

She had just gotten the call from her mother the day before. Her family would be moving to Johto and she was expected to go with them. When she argued about staying in Sinnoh longer her mother said she could carry on her journey in Johto. She told Kanoka she was too young to be regions away from her family. The news broke Kanoka’s heart bringing her to tears the night she had received it. With the Pokemon league now passed Tanaka had agreed to accompany her back to her hometown.

The sun set as the two made their way to the entrance of the town. The two walked in solemn silence. With each step they took Kanoka’s heart broke more and more. She longed to carry on traveling beside Tanaka. She did not want to part with the boy who taught her to truly cherish and believe in herself.

With the sky now orange and pink from the setting sun, Kanoka prepared her heart for the inevitable as they stood at the town gate. 

“Tanaka I…” Kanaoka began, unsure what to say. She felt her eyes welled up with tears.

“Hey, there is no need to cry,” Tanaka spoke in a very rare soft voice, a voice Kanoka rarely ever heard him use.

Kanoka looked up to find Tanaka withe a soft sad smile upon his face. The setting sun shone behind him like a halo just as it did on the day the two had started traveling together. 

“I-I don’t want to say goodbye,” Kanoka released a small sad sob.

“This isn't goodbye, just a see you later,” Tanaka comforted. 

Kanoka released another small sob before she felt a soft embrace. She leaned into Tanaka’s warm hug. “Promise me we'll meet again,” She said with a hiccup.

“If we keep on moving forward with our heads held high we will definitely cross paths again,” Tanaka softly insisted stepping back so that the two could see one another once more. He wiped a tear from Kanoka’s cheek. “So no more crying.”

With one last small sob Kanoka gave a nod. “This year has been the best of my life,” Kanoka said as her sobs subsided.

“Yeah, it has been a pretty good year,” Tanaka agreed. “But we still both have a long way to go!”

Kanoka looked to Tanaka with a sad smile. She longed to carry on making more memories beside Tanaka.

“Hey, let’s promise that until we meet again we will make a ton of new memories to share with one another,” Tanaka suggested. “Promise?” As he spoke he held out his pinky to Kanoka.

“And promise we won’t forget each other or this year we spent together,” Kanoka added as she looked to Tanaka’s pinky before taking it in her own.

“It’s a promise,” Tanaka said with a bright smile.

The two shook on the promise. Their pinkies stay intertwined for a beat before separating.

“You’re a lot stronger than you let on Kanoka. I believe in you so don’t give up ever,” Tanaka said with determination.

“I will never give up again. No more looking back for me,” Kanoka said with a bright smile. “When we meet again we’ll have so much to talk about!”

“Until we meet again, Kanoka,” Tanaka replied, his face a mix of determination and sadness.

Kanoka had stood at the town’s gate that evening watching Tanaka disappear into the sunset. It was the last time she would see Tanaka for a long while. It was a few days later on a clear starry night at that same gate that she would realized her feeling for the boy. It was too late then but she promised to hold on to these feeling until they met once more.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Kanoka stood across form Tanaka. Her old friend didn’t seem to recognise who she was at first glance. It had been years since they had last talked to one another. While Tanaka stayed mostly the same, Kanoka was well aware that she had changed from the ten year old girl she used to be. Despite this she was determined to convey through this battle who she was once and for all.

“This battle is an official gym battle between Amanai Kanoka and Ryūnosuke Tanaka the Cyllage Gym Leader,” the referee began. “This is a two on two battle. The challenger is allowed to switch out her two Pokemon at any point in the battle but the gym leader may not. Whoever is left with a Pokemon able to battle is the winner. The first to have all their Pokemon knocked out and unable to battle will be the loser. You may now start your battle.”

Tanaka’s sharp eyes lingered on Kanoka for a long moment before he called forth his first Pokemon. “Geodude come on out,” He called with a toss of the Pokeball.

“Pancham, let’s show him what we got!” Kanoka called as she summoned her Pancham from it’s ball.

“Geodude use Sand Attack!” Tanaka commanded. His Geodude jumped into action almost immediately.

Tanaka was fast and ready to go but so was Kanoka. “Pancham use Karate Chop!”

With the sand almost blinding Pancham he barely landed a hit on Geodude.

“Geodude Take Down!” Tanaka called almost immediately after Geodude received the blow from Pancham. Almost unphased, Geodude jumped into action.

Kanoka was surprised to see Geodude bounce back after receiving an effective hit. “Pancham look out!” She cried as Geodude sent Pancham flying. “Pancham are you okay!”

The small panda pokemon got to its feet with a shake of it’s head.

“Pancham Karate Chop one more time!” Kanoka shouted.

“Take Down Geodude, once more” Tanaka countered.

The two pokemon clashed with a cloud of smoke. Everyone watched with a held breath as the dust cleared.

“Both Pancham and Geodude are unable to battle,” The referee announced as the dust revealed two fainted Pokemon.

“Good work Geodude!” Tanaka praised as he recalled his Pokemon.

“You did great, Pancham,” Kanoka said as she too called back Pancham.

“You’re a lot stronger than I was expecting,” Tanaka said with an excited laugh. 

Kanoka felt her cheeks go pink at the compliment. “Well, I still have a lot more to show you!”

“That's what I like to hear!” Tanaka said in a determined gruff voice.

“Graveler, come on out!” Tanaka called as he chose his next Pokemon.

“Grotle, I choose you!” Kanoka shouted as she called forth her partner Pokemon.

“Hehe, looks like Turtwig has grown since I last saw him,” Tanaka said with a sharp excited smile.

Kanoka felt her heart skip a beat. Did Tanaka recognise her? Warmth filled her chest but she couldn't let this distract her. She had a gym battle to win.

“Let us show you just how much we’ve both grown!” Kanoka declared.

“Bring it, Kanoka!” Tanaka growled in excitement.

“Grotle use Razor Leaf!” Kanoka shouted.

“Graveler, Defence Curl!” Tanaka countered.

Although the leaves made a direct hit it did less damage than normal.

“Graveler, Rockslide,” Tanaka commanded.

Graveler jumped into action as Kanoka shouted a command of “Leech Seed.”

Rock slide made a direct his as Grotle’s Leech Seed wounded it way around Graveler. Graveler’s movements became hindered as the vines zapped its energy.

“Hang in there Graveler!” Tanaka shouted. “Use Earthquake!”

“No!” Kanoka gasped, knowing there was little chance they’d be able to dodge this move. “Grotle use Mega Drain!” She commanded in a last ditch effort.

As the earth shook under Grotle’s feet the grass type used all its strength to hit Graveler with a Mega Drain.

The two Pokemon faced off, both equally exhausted. 

“Grotle use Razor leaf,” Kanoka commanded, not ready to give in.

“Finish this with Earthquake one last time, Graveler,” Tanaka commanded.

The two tired pokemon jumped into action. But just as Graveler was about to deploy Earthquake, the vines binding him glowed once more and with it zapped his last bit of energy. The large rock pokemon fell face first to the floor. 

Silence filled the gym as the referee counted to ten.

“Graveler is unable to battle, Kanoka is the winner!” The referee announced.

Yamaguchi and Noya could he heard cheering from the stands as Kanoka registered her victory.

She had done it. Not only had Tanaka recalled who she was but she was able to beat him in the gym battle.

“You really have grown, haven’t you, Kanoka,” Tanaka cheered as he made his way across the field to where she stood.

“I never stopped looking forward,” Kanoka said with a bright smile. Her heart filled with joy. She had been longing for this day for years.

“I told you we would cross path again someday, didn’t I,” Tanaka cheered as he presented the Cliff Badge to Kanoka. “Your hard work really shows.”

Kanoka delicately took the badge from Tanaka. “I have so much to tell you about my adventures since we last parted,” Kanoka brightly replied.

“I can’t wait to hear all about them,” Tanaka replied with one of his sharp smiles Kanoka had missed seeing.

From the stands Noya looked on in confusion. “Hey, are those two old friends? Had Tanaka been holding out on me?” Noya shouted from his seat.

“They started their journey in Sinnoh around the same time when they were kids,” Yamaguchi nodded.

“What!? So Tanaka has been holding out on me,” Noya pouted from beside Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi merely laugh as he drew his attention back to the two trainers on the field. He could not hide a warm smile as he watched Kanoka reunite with her old friend. He was happy that everything was working out so well for Kanoka. He then stole a glance at Tsukki, wondering if he would have the same luck with his crush. Tsukishima sent him a stare causing Yamaguchi to look away quickly. 

That night, to celebrate two victories in one day, Yamaguchi made a large meal for Tsukki and Kanoka. Noya and Tanaka join in on the celebration. Through most of the meal Tanaka and Noya told wild stories of their travels. Much joy and laughter was shared around the table that night with Kanoka glowing like a bright star the whole time.

Dinner had gone late into the night with both Tanaka and Noya passed out on the Pokemon Center couches. Tsukki had long since retired to their room leaving just Kanoka and Yamaguchi the only two awake. The two had made their way outside to do a bit of star gazing before bed. With Eevee asleep in his lap, Yamaguchi relaxed beside his good friend.

“I honestly was so worried he wouldn’t recall who I was,” Kanoka said with a sigh. “I thought for sure he’d have forgotten.”

“Well, it seems to me that the year you two spent together also left an impression on Tanaka,” Yamaguchi hummed softly.

“I guess I worried for nothing,” Kanoka laughed.

“I can relate,” Yamaguchi chuckled. “Worrying for nothing is my specialty.”

Silence hung between the two for a long moment, both gazing to the stars. 

“I want to thank you for allowing me to tag along with you two,” Kanoka hummed, her gaze still fixed on the stars.

“The more the merrier,” Yamaguchi softly replied. “It’s nice having another person to talk to on those days Tsukki is in one of his moods.”

Silence hung between the two once more.

“I’m probably going to stay here with Tanaka for awhile longer,” Kanoka sighed, though she didn’t sound too sad.

Yamauchi wasn’t surprised by this declaration.

“I have a lot I still want to tell him,” Kanoka carried on. “I also want to properly tell him my feelings.”

“We’re going to miss your company,” Yamaguchi sighed, looking from the stars to Kanoka.

“I’m pretty sure Tsukishima is going to throw a party once he finds out I'm splitting ways with you two,” Kanoka joked.

“Oh come on, Tsukki likes having you around,” Yamaguchi insisted.

“It’s hard for me to read what Tsukki is feeling but often I couldn’t help but feel like he viewed me as a third wheel,” Kanoka sighed with a small laugh. 

“Why would he think that about you?” Yamaguchi hummed in mild confusion.

Kanoka released a small breathy laugh as he studied Yamaguchi. 

“My dreams of reuniting and confessing to the one I love is about to become a reality,’ Kanoka spoke in a calm tone as she studied Yamaguchi. “Next it’s going to be your turn to make your dreams become a reality.”

“Wh-what!” Yamaguchi’s cheeks went bright pink.

“Next time we meet you better have confessed your feelings to Tsukishima!” Kanoka spoke like a mother telling off her child.

“Me!? Confess to Tsukki!?” Yamaguchi sputtered, his cheeks as bright as a strawberry.

“I believe in you two!” Kanoka said with a wink. “I know it’s going to work out!”

Yamaguchi stumbled over his words as he failed to find a decent reply. Kanoka all the while giggled at his expense.

“One day the right opportunity to share your feeling with Tsukki will arrive,” Kanoka carried on in a wistful dreamy done. “You have to promise me that when that time comes you won’t let it go to waste,” her eyes were serious and determined as she looked to Yamaguchi. 

Yamaguchi’s cheeks faded from red to pink as he considered what Kanoka said. “I’ll do my best to not waste my chance when it comes,” he mumbled in reply.

“I believe in you, Yamaguchi,” Kanoka said with a bright smile.

The two carried on gazing at the starry sky as the cool spring air blowed past them. All the while thoughts of confessing to Tsukki danced in Yamaguchi’s mind. He hadn’t the resolve now to even consider such a thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hurray! Tanaka did recall who Kanoka was. So happy for Kanoka. I hope the two can live happily ever after. Now that begs to question if things will go just as smoothly for Yamaguchi and Tsukishima when the time comes. There is only one way to find out and that is to keep in reading.
> 
> As always, thank you all for the kind follows, kudos, bookmarks, comments and reviews. I love to hear from my readers so do keep it up! Feedback is always a great way to fuel my writing when I am having off days.
> 
> I don’t have much more to say with this chapter so see you all next chapter.


	35. Cliff By The Sea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all my lovely readers! It is so great to see you all here again. I wonder what our two boys will happen upon now that Kanoka is parting ways with them. How will their adventures flow with just the two of them? Will they become even closer? Let’s find out!
> 
> My regular beta reader Killer_Squids is back and betating once more for us all. Hurray! You can find their work on AO3 here (https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killer_Squids). They can also be found on tumblr under the name land-banana. They have done a wonderful job with betaing for me so if you have time please give there page a look.
> 
> Any Artwork you may see associated with this fic (on AO3, FF.net or Tumblr) has all be created by my good friend SlothyClaws. That is their instagram page.They also have a website (sirena.artstation.com). They do commissions and their commissions are open to anyone that is interested. Go and give their page a look if you are interested.
> 
> For this particular chapter the song I feel that best suits it’s mood is Oración from Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai. I specifically feel like the following piano cover best fits the start of this chapter (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIFeF0KhILY). If you have time please give it a listen while you read.
> 
> Enough of the boring stuff! Let’s get back on the road with our two boys! I choose you, chapter 35!!!

The next morning Yamaguchi and Tsukishima parted ways with Kanoka, Noya, and Tanaka. Yamaguchi was never good with saying goodbye. He always felt like there was so much more he had wanted to say and do with any close individual upon saying goodbye. They had traveled with Kanoka for so long that the idea of not having her around just felt odd.

At the same time, Yamaguchi knew this was best for Kanoka. Perhaps if he voiced his sorrows of parting ways Kanoka would have reconsidered her decision to stay. It would be unfair to ask Tsukki to hang around until Kanoka was ready to carry on with her journey. Despite their parting, Yamaguchi had a feeling that he would be seeing Kanoka, as well as Noya and Tanaka, again someday.

As they parted ways, they all shared words of encouragement to one another, lingering much longer than they really needed to. It wasn’t until Tsukki became impatient that Kanoka and Yamaguchi finally bid each other one final farewell. 

“Good luck with your next showcase, Yamaguchi!” Kanoka cheered as she gave Yamaguchi a friendly hug.

“I promise to win my next key soon!” Yamaguchi replied determinedly.

“Also, good luck with that other thing,” Kanoka whispered into his ear. “Don’t let Tsukki get away.” 

At that, Yamaguchi’s cheeks went bright red.

“Are you two done?” Tsukishima snapped from behind Yamaguchi.

“Sorry, Tsukki!” Yamaguchi sputtered as he peeled himself away from Kanoka.

“Next time I see you, it’ll be on a stage!” Noya declared at Yamaguchi returned to Tsukki’s side. “I won’t go easy on you just because I’m your mentor.”

“You’re not his mentor,” Tsukishima quickly sassed.

“No need to feel jealous because Yamaguchi has someone else to look up to now,” Noya retorted, as cooly as he could.

“No one said I was jealous,” Tsukishima grumbled.

“I’ll see you soon, Noya,” Yamaguchi cut in. The last thing he needed was a cranky Tsukki as a travel companion.

With that, Yamaguchi and Tsukishima made their way out of the city and down the route. Yamaguchi couldn’t help but admire how beautiful surrounding area was as they walked along the path. The particular path they were on bordered a cliff that looked over the sea. The smell of the salt in the air made Yamaguchi feel nostalgic for home.

“Wow, it’s been about two months since we left Alola for Kalos,” Yamaguchi said, breaking the silence as he watched a Wingull fly low over the ocean waves.

Tsukishima hummed in reply. “Yeah, I suppose we have been traveling for quite some time.” 

If you had asked Yamaguchi a year ago if he and Tsukki would ever go on a journey like this he would have laughed in your face. A year ago, he would have been working the days away in his family’s houseboat bakery, not even considering going on a journey in another region. If he’d even mentioned it to Tsukishima it would have pissed the grumpy blond off, and Yamaguchi would have been given at least a full day of the silent treatment.

Yamaguchi reminisced the day that had changed his mind. For most of his childhood, he was fine with staying at home working the family business and not venturing into the world like most young people his age. It was when his Grandfather suddenly fell ill that Yamaguchi had a change of heart.

“You are still so young, Tadashi,” his grandfather had said to him one day when Yamaguchi had come to pay him a visit in the hospital. “It would be a shame for you to spend it on this small Island, never to see other parts of the world.”

Yamaguchi had been ashamed back then. He was ashamed for having quit the island trials. He was ashamed for never having given it another try. He was ashamed of giving up and running away.

“Grandpa, I’m just not cut out for that sort of thing,” Yamaguchi had replied, his head hung low. 

“Nonsense,” His grandfather had brushed off. “All you did was have a bit of a stumble. There is still more than enough time for you to get back up and try again.”

He looked to his grandfather, quite shocked by his words. In all the years Yamaguchi had spent at home, no one had ever told him something like that. His mother and Grandmother hadn’t bothered to push him when he resisted trying again.

“Your Mother and Grandma told me not to push you, Tadashi, but I see something great in you,” Grandpa insisted before giving a small wheeze. “There is talent locked away in there and it will never be unlocked if you stay cooped up here on Poni Island like this.”

“B-But what about the bakery?” Yamaguchi had tried to argue, but Grandpa cut him off. 

“Nonsense! The Bakery will be fine without you for a while,” The old man weezed through a laugh.

Silence hung in the air as Grandpa’s words sunk into Yamaguchi’s mind. He knew he had run away when he quit the island trials, and he felt shame any time he looked back on it. He always used the bakery as an excuse to dodge the idea of him trying the trials once more.

“Hand me that pouch on the side table,” Grandpa said as he motioned to a small blue pouch sitting next to a glass of water.

Yamaguchi did as he was asked, passing the pouch to the feeble old man.

“I don’t know how much longer I’ll be around, so I want to give this to you before it is too late,” Grandpa said, turning to face Yamaguchi. “Now, put out your hand.”

Yamaguchi did as he was told. With his hand out, Grandpa dumped the content of the bag into his palm. A blue gem tumbled out of the bag, which Yamaguchi immediately recognized as a Waterium Z. The blue gem glinted in his eyes as Yamaguchi took it in close for examination.

“That Waterium Z was one of the first Z crystals I won back in the day when I did my island trials. I even went to Kalos with it and worked my way through the league. Those days really were the best in my life. I learned so much about myself and what it was I truly wanted,” Grandpa explained as he gazed at the crystal. 

“Grandpa I can’t-” Yamaguchi began, unsure if he could accept such a precious item from his grandfather.

“I want you to have it, Tadashi,” Grandpa cut in before Yamaguchi could refuse. “Take this crystal and forge your own path with it. Promise me you’ll go out into the world and learn about who you really are, create precious memories and stop living your life in regret.”

“G-Grandpa I-” Yamaguchi had choked out upon hearing his grandfather's words. “I promise. I’ll go out and try again,” He had replied, shimmering tears in his eyes.

“I know you are going to shine like a star, Tadashi,” Grandpa had said, giving Yamaguchi’s messy hair a ruffle.

That was one of the last conversations Yamaguchi had ever had with his Grandfather, for a few days after the old man had passed away. Yamaguchi wished he were still around today to see just how far he had come. In just a few months out on his journey, Yamaguchi’s confidence had increased to double what it formerly was.

“What are you thinking about?” Tsukishima grumbled, catching sight of Yamaguchi's wistful gaze upon the sea.

“Just home, I guess,” Yamaguchi shrugged, not allowing himself to become too sentimental with the memory.

“Hm,” Tsukishima replied. It was hard for Yamaguchi to read whether or not Tsukishima also thought of home when looking at the ocean.

“Where are we off to next?” Yamaguchi chirped, returning his focus to the journey at hand.

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” Tsukishima shrugged. “Isn’t there a Showcase you want to join?”

“Well, now that you mention it, I saw something at the Pokemon Center about a pop-up showcase in a few days, and I was thinking about joining it,” Yamaguchi shrugged.

“That’s fine by me,” Tsukishima cooly replied.

“You did great yesterday with your gym battle, by the way,” Yamaguchi shyly praised. 

“It wasn’t anything special, just another easy win,” Tsukishima mummbled.

“You were really great Tsukki,” Yamaguchi insisted, holding a tired Eevee close. “I bet your next gym battle is going to be just as spectacular!”

Tsukishima gave a small shrug, his cheeks turning a little pink. “Shut up, Yamaguchi.”

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi laughed, none too sorry. “How about we stop for lunch soon? Eating by the coast sound just about right.”

“Whatever,” Tsukishima shrugged.

With that, the two trainers set up a small afternoon camp along the cliffside. They were situated far enough away to be safe, but close enough to still have an enjoyable view. Yamaguchi whipped up a quick batch of sandwiches and Pecha Berry juice, and the two sat on a small blanket as their Pokemon dug into their meals around them. Eevee munched away on a small bowl of softened Pokefood beside Yamaguchi. 

“Is she already off the bottle?” Tsukishima asked, studying the small shiny Pokemon.

“She only gets milk in the morning now. Her teeth grew in faster than I expected.” Yamaguchi sighed.

“They can’t stay babies forever,” Tsukishima shrugged. “It’s good to see that she’s weaning smoothly for you.”

“She was fussy about it at first, but I knew once she tried my Pokefood she was hooked,” Yamaguchi said in a babyish tone as he gave Eevee’s back a stroke.

“Most Pokemon adore your Pokefood,” Tsukishima mumbled as Salazzle made herself comfortable between Yamaguchi and Tsukishima.

“The view kind of reminds you of home, huh?” Yamaguchi hummed as he gave Salazzle a gentle stroke of the head. The lizard gave a low hiss in agreement.

It wasn’t long before both trainer and Pokemon were lounging about the area. Yamaguchi had wandered closer to the cliff’s edge, wanting to get a better look at the crashing waves. He peered out over the water as a gentle salty mist kissed his cheeks. Closing his eyes, he breathed in deeply, enjoying the fresh smell of the ocean. The scent was different from Alola. The ocean in Kalos was much colder, and the salty air felt much thicker when he breathed it in. 

From his pocket he pulled out he Waterium-Z he had inherited from his Grandfather. Things really had changed so much in such a short amount of time. As the blue crystal sparkled in the sunlight he wished more than anything to share his progress with his grandfather.

Yamaguchi was in such deep thought that the blow he received to his upper back almost sent him over the edge. Confused and slightly winded, Yamaguchi shoved the crystal back into his pocket before turning around to see who had hit him.

It all happened at once. Tsukki shouting his name, there were screams of shock from several of the Pokemon, and a blue and white blur landed a direct hit onto Yamaguchi’s chest, knocking the wind out of him and sending him stumbling back.

Yamaguchi coughed as the creature slammed him from the side once more, this time landing the fatal blow. Yamaguchi stumbled back, only to find that he had run out of land to stand on. His foot slipped off the cliff as the world around him began to turn upside down. It only took him a moment to realize he was falling. 

Yamaguchi screamed in a panic as he flailed down the side of the cliff.

“Snivy, vine whip!” Yamaguchi heard Tsukishima shout. 

Yamaguchi was halfway to the water when he felt Snivy’s vines catch him around the middle, and the sudden force once again knocked the wind out of him. Yamauchi coughed several times in an attempt to catch his breath.

“Yamaguchi!” Tsukishima shouted from the clifftop.

Yamaguchi looked up to see Tsukishima struggling to hold Snivy, who looked to be straining under Yamaguchi’s weight.

“We have to pull him up!” Tsukishima groaned as he struggled to keep a hold on Snivy. Yamaguchi was much heavier than he looked.

With his wits a bit more about him, Yamaguchi positioned himself so he could attempt to scale the side of the cliff.

“While you pull I’ll climb!” Yamaguchi shouted once he found his voice again.

Yamaguchi could see Tsukki release what looked to be a relieved sigh. “On three we’ll pull and you climb,” Tsukishima called down.

Yamaguchi gave an affirmative shout.

“One.. two… three!” Tsukishima called as he and Snivy gave a great pull.

Yamaguchi did his best to climb up the cliff as they did so. Several times over Tsukki would count to three and pull while Yamaguchi climbed, but the going was slow. The cliff’s edge was sheer and hard for Yamaguchi to get a good hold on, and Yamaguchi was far too heavy for Snivy to handle.

“Again!” Tsukishima shouted as sweat dripped from his brow. 

It was then that the thing that had attacked Yamaguchi had come back around for seconds. That was when Yamaguchi finally got a good look at it. It was a Pelipper, a very angry Pelipper, for where it sat perched was its nest. Yamaguchi held tight to the wall, bracing himself for impact with the giant bird.

“Ember!” Tsukishima commanded, and just in time, Salazzle sent a large angry flame towards the Pelipper, shielding Yamaguchi from the attack.

The angry Pelipper wasn’t deterred from this as it made a U-turn, it’s target set square on Yamaguchi’s back.

“Snivy! We have to hurry,” Tsukishima spoke, almost panicking as he held Snivy tight. 

Snivy gave a frustrated grunt from her trainer’s arms.

“Popplio and Frogadier, you use water gun, Salazzle and Bagon, use ember! We have to protect him!” Tsukishima commanded. “Now pull Snivy, we have to work fast!” 

Without question, the four pokemon set their target on Pelipper.

Snivy gave a cry as the vines strained against Yamaguchi’s weight. Riolu, Swirlix, and Eevee all helped by latching onto the vines and pulling along with her.

Yamaguchi struggled to hold on as blasts of fire and water swirled around him in an attempt to keep the Pelipper at bay. He gave a loud gasp as his grasp slipped and he slid back down the cliffside. He swung like a ball at the end of a pendulum, almost back where he had started when originally caught.

“Yamaguchi!” Tsukishima cried as he felt his friend slip further down the cliff.

Snivy gave a loud cry, refusing to give in. As she did, she began to glow in her trainer's arms. Tsukishima released a surprised gasp as Snivy began to evolve right before his eyes. The next thing Tsukishima knew, he was holding onto a Servine.

Servine gave a determined cry as she used all her strength to hoist Yamaguchi out of dangers way. Yamaguchi gave a squeaked in surprise as he moved up the mountain much quicker than before. All the while, the other Pokemon took turns shooting attack at the angry Pelipper.

The next thing Yamaguchi knew, he was being dragged from the edge of the cliff onto solid ground. His mind racing, he clung tight to Tsukki, shaking like a leaf in his friend arms. 

“Are you okay?” Tsukishima asked as he checked over his best friend from head to toe.

Yamaguchi was shaken and bruised, but other than that he was mostly unharmed. The Pokemon circled around the two trainers, Salazzle dared the Pelipper to try and attack again. The large bird turned tail and took flight upon realizing that her target was much more protected.

“S-Sorry. I’m Sorry! I-I don’t… I didn’t s-see… I didn’t k-know,” Yamauchi stumbled over his words as he did his best to calm himself down.

“Hey, calm down. Everything is okay,” Tsukishima said in a stern but soft voice. “You’re safe now.”

Yamaguchi took a deep breath as he looked up to find that he was practically in Tsukki’s lap. It was warm and safe. He hadn’t been this close to his best friend in a while, and he felt his cheeks go bright red as he stumbled back. His heart wasn’t ready.

Tsukishima allowed Yamaguchi his space, shooting his friend a very concerned look.

“I- I’m fine!” Yamaguchi gasped as he tried to regain his composure. 

“I think you’re still quite shaken,” Tsukishima grumbled before scooping Yamaguchi up into his arms like a bride. “We are going to camp at the picnic site for tonight. You need to rest,” He flatly explained as he carried Yamaguchi back to where they had eaten lunch.

Yamaguchi only struggled for a moment before allowing himself to be carried. He leaned into Tsukishima chest, feigning exhaustion. His cheeks started to turn pink at the sound of his best friend beating heart. Its rhythmic beat helped calm him down.

Tsukishima gently placed Yamaguchi on to the picnic blanket instructing him to rest while he set up camp.

“But Tsukki, you must be tired too!” Yamaguchi had argued.

“I’m not the one who was hanging off a cliff like a yo-yo!” Tsukishima snapped. “Now rest!”

“Fine,” Yamauchi pouted, far too tired to argue. Besides, it felt great being cared for by Tsukki. 

It was only a few moment into his snoozing that it dawned on Yamaguchi. “Your Snivy evolved...” he mumbled as Servine passed by.

Servine stopped to calmly study Yamaguchi. He could tell just by her eyes that she still had her old attitude. 

“Thank you Servine, for saving me,” Yamaguchi hummed.

Servine gave a small huff of embarrassment. She never was the best at receiving affection. 

“Didn’t I tell you to rest!” Tsukishima snapped from where he stood building the tent. 

“I am resting,” Yamaguchi grumbled back like a child. Sometimes Tsukki could be so stubborn, but Yamaguchi had to admit that he felt all sort of joy being pampered by Tsukki. Tonight was definitely going to be one to enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where would Yamaguchi be without Tsukki. Clumsy boy needs to be more careful. And Tsukki needs to keep a closer eye on him. What will the two run into next? Will Yamaguchi’s showcase go over well? Will he win another key or walk away a loser? Find out that and more in the next chapter!
> 
> Hey all, I hope you are all doing well. As always, thank you all so much for the kudos, follows, bookmarks, comments and reviews. I just love to hear back from you readers so please do let me know what you think of this chapter and the fic as a whole.
> 
> My schedule seems pretty solid at the moment so hopefully the regular uploads will keep coming. I don’t see any big bumps in my future.
> 
> Well, that is all for now. See you all next chapter.


	36. Pop-Up Showcase

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! It’s good to see you here again. Who is ready for chapter 36. Let’s see what kind of mess our boys will get in this time!
> 
> This chapter was beta read by my regular beta reader Killer_Squids. You can find their work on AO3 here (https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killer_Squids). They can also be found on tumblr under the name land-banana. They have done a wonderful job with betaing for me so if you have time please give there page a look.
> 
> Any Artwork you may see associated with this fic (on AO3, FF.net or Tumblr) has all be created by my good friend SlothyClaws. That is their instagram page.They also have a website (sirena.artstation.com). They do commissions and their commissions are open to anyone that is interested. Go and give their page a look if you are interested.
> 
> I don’t have a particular song for this chapter unfortunately. I probably won’t have one for every chapter. Maybe you can recommend your favorite Pokemon theme to me!
> 
> I choose you, chapter 36!!!!

Yamaguchi had to admit that he truly did enjoy traveling alongside Tsukki when it was just the two of them. Things were a lot quieter, but at the same time very comfortable. It didn’t take them long to fall back into their old routine before Kanoka had tagged along. While Tsukki spent his time training his team, Yamaguchi would study for the next Showcase or work on improving Eevee’s attitude towards Riolu.

As the two traveled along the cliff coastline the days passed by much quicker than Yamaguchi would like to admit. Before he knew it, they’d arrived at the location where the next showcase was due to be held. The particular showcase he’d be entering was much smaller than the last he had participated in, and it was to take place in a large portable tent. While it was still going to be broadcasted like any other showcase, Yamaguchi had a feeling not as many people would be tuned in.

He made a quick beeline for the check-in tent, which was located just outside the large performing tent. Tsukki followed after, quietly observing their surroundings as they did so. There were a lot fewer people, and it looked as if most people attending had arrived just that day.

“Hello sir,” a kind lady greeted as they entered the tent. “Are you here to purchase seat tickets or sign up to perform?”

“I’m here to perform,” Yamaguchi replied, pulling out his Pokedex so he could flash his ID at the lady.

“Let me see that for a moment,” the lady hummed as she plucked the dex from Yamaguchi’s hand. She did a few things on her end of the counter before handing the dex back to Yamaguchi. “You have been entered into the showcase! It is due to take place later today. Please be back here an hour before the showcase is due to start, and as we do not have a dressing room provided at the venue, please come dressed and ready to perform.”

Yamaguchi gave a nod of understanding as he took his Pokedex back from the lady. He warmly thanked the worman, then bid her goodbye as he and Tsukki made their way back to their campsite.

“This is nothing like the contest in Camphrier Town,” Yamaguchi laughed awkwardly as he sorted himself out at the campsite.

“I suppose not all contests can be as flashy as that one,” Tsukishima said, taking a seat by the extinguished campfire. “How are you feeling?”

“Okay, I guess,” Yamaguchi awkwardly shrugged. “It’s all just happening so fast.”

Tsukishima gave a knowing ‘hm’ as he examined Yamaguchi from across the campsite.

Yamaguchi did feel quite numb to the situation. He had a lot less time to prepare for this showcase. In fact, he’d only heard about it from Noya a few days ago. Noya had advised he join as many showcases as he could if he planned on collecting the five keys he needed to join the Master Class competition and get a shot at becoming the Kalos King at the end of the year. 

‘If you don’t play, you can’t win!’ Noya had advised Yamaguchi the morning they had bid their farewell, and those words echoed in his mind as he sorted out his suit.

A speck of worry settled in Yamaguchi’s gut. He wasn’t the type to just rush into something without preparation, but it seemed the nature of showcases was to keep going so as to not fall too far behind. There were only so many showcases in the year, and if Yamaguchi took too long preparing between each one he might lose his chance. 

This particular showcase came on so fast he hadn’t any time to even create a new routine, but Noya had told him not to sweat it. According to him, many contestants often use the same routine many times in a row and still win. Plus, Yamaguchi believed in the routine he and Popplio had created. He knew he could use it to win again. The only problem was making it past round one. Yamaguchi had no clue what round one was going to be. If he was lucky it would be another baking challenge.

“You’ve been sighing an awful lot,” Tsukishima mumbled from where he sat.

Yamaguchi released a loud ‘Ack’ as Tsukki’s voice shook away his worries.

“S-sorry,” Yamaguchi apologized. “I guess I’m just overthinking again.” 

Tsukishima released a small calm ‘hum’ as he examined Yamaguchi over his tablet. “Well, there isn’t much more we can do now so it’s best to just relax.”

“Yeah, I know,” Yamaguchi laughed. He knew Tsukki was doing his best to comfort him, but he just couldn’t help that he was a worrier.

With another small sigh, Yamaguchi returned to preparations. As he did so, he thought of a strategy for round one. He highly doubted there would be any sort of baking competition happening at such a makeshift venue. He considered a fashion show, or perhaps it would be trivia or agility. He just didn’t know what to do.

Before long it was time for him to make his way back to the Performance tent. At the entrance, he bit Tsukishima a very nervous farewell as he handed Eevee off.

“What happens, happens. Just go out there and do what you can,” Tsukishima said as he took Eevee into his arms. Eevee gave a small pout as she looked to Yamaguchi, most likely not wanting to be separated from him.

“Right, I guess that’s all I can do now,” Yamaguchi anxiously shrugged as he gave Eevee one last pat on the head. 

With that, the two trainers parted ways. Yamaguchi’s stomach did a multitude of flips with each step he took, and he felt the overwhelming need to vomit. It took all he had not to spew his guts everywhere. He had to keep it together. For the sake of his team and his dignity, he was not going to allow himself to nerious-vomit all over the waiting room floor.

Yamaguchi’s stomach did another fearful flip as it suddenly occurred to him that Tendō could very well be in this competition as well. He was not in the right mindset to face that crazy guy, and he would definitely lose it if Tendō were to pin him to a wall again, just like he did last time they met. He quickly scanned the room, and to his joy, he didn’t recognize a single person in the waiting room. 

There were only about half of the number of contestants as last time, but just as last time many of the contestants looked as nervous as he felt while several others looked quite ready. Yamaguchi shuffled through the waiting room and took an open seat next to a short trainer with light brown hair and brown eyes. The other trainer seemed to be in deep thought and didn’t take any mind when Yamaguchi sat down.

Yamaguchi took a deep breath as he tried to calm himself. He was already this far, so there was no turning back. Everything was going to be okay. Besides, even if he didn’t win the key it didn’t matter. He would have so many more chances to win a key, so no need to worry over it!

“Hey, I know you!” the trainer next to Yamaguchi gasped. “You won the Camphrier Showcase! You’re Yamaguchi, right? Noya told me all about you.”

Yamaguchi nearly jumped out of his skin as he looked to the shorter trainer next to him. He stumbled over his words unable to get his thoughts together from his shock.

“Sorry if I spooked ya,” the trainer smiled brightly. “The name’s Yaku. Noya and I caught the Camphrier Showcase on TV, and he talked all about how he was your mentor.” Yaku sent Yamaguchi a very bright smile.

“H-hello, I’m Yamaguchi,” Yamaguchi replied awkwardly, still taken aback by how forward Yaku was.

“Hey, you seem kind of shaky, are you okay?” Yaku asked. Yamaguchi noticed immediately that Yaku was much more controlled than Noya was. Perhaps a bit more mature.

“I guess I’m just a bit nervous,” Yamaguchi said with a chuckle.

“Yeah, those first few showcases can be the worst,” Yaku laughed from beside him. “You’ll get used to it eventually.”

“Hopefully sooner than later,” Yamaguchi sighed. He had a feeling he’d never be as chill as Yaku was now.

“Well, it’s nice to finally meet you,” Yaku carried on in an upbeat manner. “Your performance at Camphrier was really stunning. I couldn’t believe it was your first Showcase.”

“Oh, um thank you,” Yamaguchi replied with a deep blush. “It wasn’t anything amazing or something like that,” he mumbled, unsure how to take a compliment.

“Hey, it was obvious that you and your Pokemon worked hard for that win, so no talking down about yourself or your Pokemon!” Yaku scolded, kind of like a mother, Yamaguchi noted.

“S-Sorry!” Yamaguchi quickly apologized, feeling a bit guilty for having not thought of Popplio’s and Swirlix hard work. “I guess we did train quite a bit leading up to that Showcase.”

“That’s more like it,” Yaku praised, giving Yamaguchi's back a strong pat. “We performers have to keep our heads up, even when we are feeling nervous.” 

“Right, head up!” Yamaguchi nodded, doing his best to smile with confidence. 

“Much better,” Yaku smiled in approval. 

It was then that Takeda entered the small waiting room. Yamaguchi couldn’t believe his eyes seeing Takeda yet again. Did this guy announce for all the showcases or something?

Takeda took no time separating the trainers into three groups of five, and Yamaguchi felt his stomach do a crazy flip as he was sorted into the very first group to go up. This meant he wasn’t going to have as much time to prepare for the first round!

“Today's first round is going to be game show style. Your Pokemon will race to one end of the stage and tag a target! Whoever gets there first will win their trainer a shot at answering a question. You will have 30 seconds to answer the question before it gets passed onto the next contestant. If you answer incorrectly, then the next contestant gets a shot at the question. Whoever has the most points at the end is the winner of the round and can move on,” Takeda explained to the group.

Yamaguchi felt a shiver run down his spine. He was not very good at trivia questions, and it was what he had spent the least amount of time studying in the past week. He felt an overwhelming urge to kick himself. With that, Takeda exited to the stage to allow the contestants time to ready themselves for round one. 

Yamaguchi sat back down into his seat. He released a long sigh, unsure of what to do to prepare. He looked around to see many others looking just as distraught as he was while other trainers skimmed through various books.

“Man, I hate trivia-based challenges! You never know what they are going to ask,” Yaku sighed from beside Yamaguchi. “You just have to hope the others know less than you do.”

“Tell me about it,” Yamaguchi sighed. He was pretty sure the others wouldn’t know less than he did.

“Trivia is always the trickiest, so don’t let it get you down,” Yaku hummed. “There is no way for us to know what exactly they are going to ask us so there isn’t much we can do.”

Yamaguchi gave a silent nod. He guessed today he would find out how many random facts he knew about random stuff.

Yamaguchi called out Riolu from her ball. She was the fastest of his team, and the one with the most dexterity. He had no doubt that she would knock out the racing aspect of the first challenge.

“You ready, girl?” Yamaguchi asked, giving her head a soft pat. Riolu gave a joyful bark as she leaned into his hand. She seemed more than thrilled to have been picked for the first round.

It wasn’t long before the first round of contestants were gathered up and brought on stage. Yamaguchi held Riolu in his arms as he entered. With this contest being in a tent, the lighting was much less bright and he could see out into the crowd with no problem. Despite there being much fewer seats, every last one of them was filled. Yamaguchi felt his brow start to sweat at the many eyes looking at them. He scanned the sea of people and found Tsukki and Eevee sitting in the back center seats. The two made brief eye contact, causing Yamaguchi heart to do another flip. Tsukishima’s gaze was stern but comforting in a way that both calmed Yamaguchi down and made him very excited.

Yamaguchi swiftly placed Riolu on the racing track. He whispered words of encouragement to her before making his way to his assigned pedestal. In no time at all the contestants Pokemon had been placed on the small track that stretched along the stage. Along with Riolu, there was a Treecko, a Buneary, an Aipom, and a Pichu.

Riolu seemed pumped to be amongst so many other Pokemon. She would give small excited jumps here and there as the other Pokemon behaved in just as exciting of a manner. Yamaguchi hoped that Riolu didn’t get too distracted. This was her first time on stage and all.

“Our round one challenge is a Trivia relay!” Takeda announced to the crowd. He briefly went over the rules, just as he had done with the contestants in the waiting room.

Yamaguchi rolled his shoulders as he readied himself to answer whatever question went his way. Riolu readied herself on the track, her eyes zoning in on a button on the far end of the track she had to be the first to tag to win her trainer the first chance to answer the question.

A countdown srated, and as it hit zero a buzzer sounded and the Pokemon raced down the track. The Pichu fell behind quickly followed by the Buneary. Treecko, Aipom, and Riolu were neck and neck before Treecko also fell behind. Riolu gave a small grunt of determination as she pushed in front, almost slamming into the button at the end. She had done it! She had won Yamaguchi the first question.

“Great job, Riolu!” Yamaguchi praised from the stand. Riolu barked in joy.

“Yamaguchi, your question is... How many heads does an Exeggutor have?” Takeda asked.

Yamaguchi thought for a moment before the answer came to him. “They have three heads unless they are in Alola, then they have an extra head on the tail making it four heads,” he confidently replied.

A chime sounded as Takeda sang “You are correct.”

Yamaguchi felt a smile bloom on his lips. Perhaps this wasn't going to be so bad.

The next round involved the Pokemon racing over several hurdles and to Yamaguchi’s dismay, Aipom was the first to the target. Aipoms trainer answered his question with ease.

The next race involved the Pokemon jumping through a number of rings as they raced down the track. It was close, but Riolu made it to the target just before Treecko did.

“Yamaguchi your second question, what is necessary for Snorunt to evolve into Froslass?” Takeda asked loud and clear.

Yamaguchi hesitated for a long moment. He knew Snorunt needed a stone to evolve but he didn’t know what stone. His shoulders went stiff as he tried to recall what stone it was. “A Snorunt needs an Ice Stone to evolve,” he answered, but his tone sounded more like a question.

A buzzer sounded indicating that his his answer was incorrect. “Sorry Yamaguchi, but it is not an Ice Stone that is needed to evolve a Snorunt in to a Froslass,” Taketa said with a frown.

Yamaguchi felt his shoulders deflate as Takeda asked Treecko’s rainer if she knew the answer.

“A Snorunt must first be female to evolve into Froslass and you use a Dawn Stone,” She answered loudly.

Yamaguchi felt the need to kick himself. How could he have forgotten about the Dawn Stone! He made an effort to shake it off and keep focused. There was still a chance.

The next race involved the Pokemon jumping from platforms, and surprisingly Buneary was the first to make it to the target. The trainer correctly answered an easy question about Alolan Vulpix. After that the Pokemon had to serpentine around small flying objects and this time Aipom was the winner. It’s trainer answered their question with ease, putting them in the lead. Yamaguchi felt his stomach do a crazy flip.

“Our net question will be our last unless the score gets tied up,” Takeda announced.

Yamaguchi tried to calm his heart. He believed in Riolu. He knew she could do it.

This time the Pokemon had to swing from one end of the field to the next. Yamaguchi felt a wave of dread. This was Aipom’s specialty. 

“You can do it, Riolu!” Yamaguchi called from his pedestal. This seemed to super charge his Riolu as she swung like a bullet past Aipom. With determination in her red eyes she landed her paw on the target just before Aipom.

“Yes!” Yamaguchi shouted from where he stood. He really was blessed with amazing Pokemon.

“The next question is your’s Yamaguchi,” Takeda sang as he address Yamaguchi. He had a cheeky smile on his face. “What is necessary for a Riolu to evolve into a Lucario?”

Yamaguchi felt his heart do an excited flutter. He had a Riolu so he should know this one for sure. Yamaguchi’s smile faded as his mind went blank. What did Riolu need to evolve again. He couldn’t remember. Was it a stone? “It needs… It needs…” Yamaguchi stammered as all eyes were on him. He could hear whispers from all around “It needs…” Yamaguchi stammered as a buzzer sounded. The sound broke his heart.

“I’m sorry Yamaguchi, but you are out of time,” Takeda frowned before addressing Aipom’s trainer.

Yamaguchi looked to Riolu who shot him a very confused look. Yamaguchi had failed her. Riolu didn’t understood what happened. She didn’t understand why Yamauchi looked so upset. 

“A Riolu will evolve during the day time if it has a close bond with its trainer,” Aipom’s trainer almost sang. The chime sounded and round one was over.

Yamaguchi felt his eyes wet as he scooped up Riolu into his arms and made his way back to the waiting room. How could he had been so stupid? He should have known that last question. Riolu shifted in his hold to nuzzle his neck, doing her best to comfort him.

“I’m so sorry Riolu,” Yamaguchi whispered as a tear ran down his cheek. He thought he had grown past this childish crying.

He took his seat in the waiting room as he blankly watched the rest of the showcase from the provided television. His heart felt heavy as he watched the other group for round one start and finish. Yaku made it into round two with barely any bumps. He really was a much more experienced contestant than Yamaguchi was.

Three contestants were left for round two. With Riolu in his arms, Yamaguchi made his way to the stadium to properly watch the final round from the audience. The first contestant performed a spectacular dance with her Vaporeon. The second contestant, Aipom’s trainer, did a funny little ditty with a Mime Jr. that even made Yamaguchi crack a smile.

Yaku was the last one up and performed alongside his Alolan Raichu. The two danced in unison as Raichu sent waves of telekinetic electricity around them and the room. Yaku’s movements were precise and each one held meaning. He didn’t waver even once. Yamaguchi’s heavy heart lightened as he watched the more experienced performer show their stuff.

Yaku has probably been in so many contests and lost twice as many as he’d won, yet still performs so magnificently on stage. Noya, Sugawara, Kiyoko, they were all so experience and never gave in. They got where they were today through standing back up no matter what. Yamaguchi wondered if his weak self would also able to do the same. He released a thoughtful sigh as he pondered this. Riolu released a sad whimper at her trainer’s downcast gaze.

“Don’t worry. I’m fine,” Yamaguchi whispered as he held her close. “You did a great job today by the way. Extra treats for your hard work.”

At this Riolu released a happy yip that caught the attention of the people around them. Yamaguchi had to apologize sevrealtimes for the disturbance. 

It wasn’t a surprise that Yaku won the key to this competition. His routine blew the other two out of the water. Yamaguchi was happy for Yaku. He had only just met the trainer but could tell that he and his Alolan Raichu had practiced hard. Yamaguchi was just an infant in the showcase world. He had a long way to go if he wanted to be on the same level as Yaku and Noya.

Yamaguchi didn’t know what to say when he reunited with Tsukki and Eevee. Eevee was none too happy to see Riolu in Yamaguchi's arms and practically tackled him in her attempt to reclaim her rightful spot. Unfortunately for her today she would have to share that spot with Riolu.

“Well, you can’t win them all I guess,” Yamaguchi said with a sheepish laugh. “Sorry I couldn’t bring home another key.”

“You did your best,” Tsukishima replied.

Yamaguchi gave a solemn nod. Had he really done his best? He didn’t know.

That night was far more quiet than normal, even for Tsukki. Yamaguchi was in deep thought over the loss. He felt conflicted. Unsure what to do next time to avoid this scenario. He should have been able to answer that question no problem.

Despite not much conversation passing between the two Tsukki stayed closer Yamaguchi than normal. His presence was calming for Yamaguchi. It helped pull him from the dark thoughts that plagued him so. Did Tsukki realize this? Is that why he stuck so close to Yamaguchi that evening? Yamaguchi didn’t know but appreciated the gesture none the less. Being with Tsukki always eased his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Yamaguchi. Our sweet boy has to swallow his first showcase loss. Will he get right back up or stay down for a while? What is he going to do to remedy the mistakes he made so as to not relive them? Why was Tsukki staying so close to him that night? That and more will be answered if you stay tuned.
> 
> Hey all! As always, thank you so much for your views, kudos, bookmarks and follows. I love to hear from my lovely readers so please do leave a comment or review if you have time. The best kind of writing fuel is feedback.
> 
> I don’t have much to say with this chapter so that is all for now. See you next chapter.


	37. A Rock From The Heavens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Here is chapter 37! I am so excited for you all to read this. Two new characters join the roster. I wonder who they are going to be! I know I love these two quite dearly.
> 
> This chapter was beta read by my regular beta reader Killer_Squids. You can find their work on AO3 here (https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killer_Squids). They can also be found on tumblr under the name land-banana. They have done a wonderful job with betaing for me so if you have time please give there page a look.
> 
> Any Artwork you may see associated with this fic (on AO3, FF.net or Tumblr) has all be created by my good friend SlothyClaws. That is their instagram page.They also have a website (sirena.artstation.com). They do commissions and their commissions are open to anyone that is interested. Go and give their page a look if you are interested.
> 
> As for a song to go along with this chapter I feel like Rout 225 Day Theme goes great with one of the characters introduced in this chapter. It’s a fast past strong song that sets the mood for the chapter as a whole. If you have time while reading this look it up and give it a listen.
> 
> I choose you, chapter 37!

“Quiz style first rounds have always been the trickiest of all the first rounds you can face,” Shimada hummed from the other side of the Pokemon Center’s computer. “You never really know what they are going to ask, and there is only so much you can prepare.”

“I know, but that last question,” Yamaguchi groaned, his hands on his face. “I should have known it no problem!”

“Hey, don’t kick yourself too much over it,” Shimada kindly said. “Stage fright is bound to happen for new contestants, so you should just forget about it. It’s great that you were even able to receive one point. Some people didn’t even get that far.”

Yamaguchi shifted in his seat for a moment as he considered Shimada’s words. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he eventually agreed in a mumble.

“You’re going to win some and you’re going to lose some. It’s part of the showcase gig,” Shimada shrugged. “The best thing to do now is to try to figure out where you went wrong and practice, practice, practice!”

“I’ll try not to dwell on it,” Yamaguchi said with a soft smile. Obsessing over the loss would only hinder him and his team.

“That’s what I like to hear,” Shimada smiled brightly. “Get back out there and try for another showcase whenever you can. All Pokemon Centers have a list of upcoming showcases you can reference at any time so make sure to keep up to date with that.”

“Right, I’ll be sure to check up on it more often,” Yamaguchi nodded. He really needed to get into the habit of checking in on the showcase schedule.

“So, where are you and Tsukishima off to next?” Shimada asked, relaxing a bit in his seat.

“It looks like we will be going to Shalour City so that Tsukki can try for his next gym badge,” Yamaguchi replied, mirroring Shimada’s posture and relaxing as well.

“I see,” Shimada hummed in thought as he shifted once more. Yamaguchi could hear him typing on his computer. “Just as I thought!” he cheered as he looked right into the camera. “There should be a showcase in about a week or so. It’s going to be held in Geosenge Town. It’s on the way to Shalour City, so you can hit that showcase on your way to the gym.”

“Oh, is that so?” Yamaguchi nervously replied. He sat up a bit. Was he ready for another showcase so soon?

“There is no point in waiting, Yamaguchi,” Shimada almost scolded. “There are only a handful of showcases in a year, so you need to try as many as you can before the Master Class Showcase Tournament begins.”

“Yeah, I know,” Yamaguchi mumbled. He was well aware that, unlike gyms, showcases were on a fixed schedule and there were only so many chances a trainer had at obtaining a key.

“Listen, Yamaguchi, I will send over some study materials for you to look over if that makes you feel better,” Shimada said, speaking a bit softer now. “I also have a book on helping with stage fright. Give it a read when you have a chance.”

“Thanks, that would be great,” Yamaguchi replied with a small smile. He really had no clue what to do about his stage fright, and he was reminded of how lucky he was to have Shimada as a mentor.

“I’ll send the materials on over tonight, and you should have them by tomorrow morning,” Shimada carried on with a kind smile.

“Thank you so much,” Yamaguchi said with a small bow of his head. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Shimada.”

“Don’t thank me, Yamaguchi. You’re a great trainer with a lot of talent for the stage,” Shimada pridefully said. “You just need a bit more practice and you’ll be a natural in no time.”

“Thanks,” Yamaguchi replied with a small meek blush.

“Now, you go get some rest tonight. It’s just as important to rest after a loss as it is after a win,” Shimada demanded like a doting mother.

“Yes, sir,” Yamaguchi dutifully replied.

“Goodnight, Yamaguchi,” Shimada softly hummed.

“Goodnight, Shimada,” Yamaguchi gently replied.

With that, the two hung up.

Yamaguchi took a deep breath before getting up from where he sat. Talking with Shimada about his loss wasn't as scary as he thought it would be. With his thoughts together, Tadashi made his way out of the Pokemon center and back to the campsite he and Tsukki had pitched the night before. With the popup showcase being held earlier that day there were no more rooms left at the Pokemon Center hostel so the two opted for a good old fashioned campsite.

Once back at the campsite Yamaguchi was brightly greeted by both Eevee and Riolu. Eevee had come to terms a bit more with Riolu as part of the team now. She still pouted whenever Riolu got more attention from Yamaguchi, but she hadn’t attacked or growled at Riolu since the incident with the cobbler. 

Yamaguchi picked Eevee and Riolu up into a warm hug. Salazzle snaked her way around him in warm greeting as he did so. 

“It’s good to see you all, too,” Yamaguchi greeted as he made his way over to where Tsukki at by the blazing campfire.

“How’d it go?” Tsukishima asked as Yamaguchi took a seat next to him.

“Better than I thought, I guess,” Yamaguchi shrugged as he shifted Riolu and Eevee into his lap. Salazzle wedged her way between Yamaguchi and Tsukki, cozying up to both of them.

“Get any good advice?” Tsukishima followed up, placing the book he had been reading in his lap.

“He is going to send me a bit of reading,” Yamaguchi replied. His shoulders slumped as he allowed himself to relax a bit.

“Well, that's good,” Tsukishima calmly hummed.

“There’s also going to be another showcase in Geosenge Town in about a week,” Yamaguchi sighed, feeling his stomach do a bit of a flip at the idea of joining another showcase so soon after his loss.

“That's on the way to Shalour City,” Tsukishima replied. He was much better with geography than Yamaguchi was. “Are you going to join it?” he asked, glancing over at his best friend.

“I suppose, if you don’t mind the detour,” Yamaguchi shrugged. He wished he could be more pumped about it.

Tsukishima simply replied with an “I don’t mind”.

A moment of silence hung between the two. The spring nights weren’t as frigid anymore, so staying up and enjoying the silent darkness was something the two did a lot more often. Yamaguchi couldn’t help but feel grateful for nights like this. No matter what happened and no matter how mopy Yamaguchi got, Tsukki was always there for him.

“Thanks, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi hummed after a long moment. He really didn’t deserve such a wonderful best friend.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning came on quickly. After breakfast, the two trainers packed up their camp and made their way back from where they had come. While the walk to Geosenge Town was only a few days away, Yamaguchi had learned that sometimes one encounters bump along the trail.

This particular spring day was bright and warm. It carried a comfortable salty sea breeze that helped Yamaguchi freshen his mind after his loss yesterday. As they walked along the rocky coast Yamaguchi made sure to keep a healthy distance between himself and the cliff he had almost fallen from before. Apparently, it was nesting season for the Pelliper and, as he learned first hand, they can become quite aggressive if they feel their nest is threatened.

Around late noon the two trainers decided to pitch camp for the day. Their campsite was a ways from the trail, but they could still see out over the ocean well enough. Yamaguchi quickly whipped together several rice balls before settling down to eat and read the book from Shimada on common showcase trivia.

If Yamaguchi was being honest, the book was one of the most boring books Shimada had given him to study from. It was full of random Pokemon facts that only made Yamaguchi feel sleepy. Though he gave it his best, Yamaguchi couldn’t help but fall into a snooze while reading the book.

“Look out!” A shout sounded from somewhere beyond the tree line. 

Yamaguchi shot up from his snooze. His book and Eevee flew in opposite directions as Yamaguchi caught sight of a large rock heading right for Eevee. With speed he didn’t know he had, Yamaguchi scooped Eevee into his arms and rolled away, narrowly missed being struck by the rock. He sat curled around Eevee for a long moment, unsure if it was safe.

“What the fuck?” Tsukishima spat as he stood up. He had been reading from his tablet and was just as shocked as Yamaguchi was.

“Hey! Are you okay?” The same voice from before sounded from behind a bush.

Yamaguchi cracked an eye open and sat up as the owner of the voice emerged from the bush. It was an older trainer with spiky gray hair and round yellow eyes. He had a large smile on his face despite having almost commited murder via rock. Beside the trainer was a very strong looking Hawlucha.

Before either Yamaguchi or Tsukishima could answer, a second trainer emerged from the very same bush. He had darker hair and an almost serene aura about him. He sent a very disapproving look to his friend.

“Bokuto, I told you we were far too close to the trail for this sort of training,” the dark-haired trainer scolded.

“Calm down, Akaashi. It doesn't look like anyone here is hurt!” Bokuto shrugged with a cheeky smile.

“Really?” Akaashi grumbled, unconvinced. His eyes shot to the large rock that was only inches away from where Yamaguchi’s head had just been. He then looked to Yamaguchi who still sat stunned on the spot. His brow furrowed in concern as he took in the sight of the two campers.

Before Yamaguchi could speak a word Tsukishima stepped forward. “Were you the ones who chucked this rock at us? You almost took out Yamaguchi’s head,” He snapped, his eyes leering at Bokuto.

“Hey, he looks fine,” Bokuto shrugged as he walked further into their camp. “No one was hurt, right kid?” He asked, looking to Yamaguchi.

Tsukishima released a small grumbled as he scowled at the carefree Bokuto.

“I-I’m fine,” Yamaguchi sputtered as he stood up. He was a bit unsure if he should react with more anger or not.

“Well, we are both very sorry for this… situation,” Akaashi apologized once more. “My name is Akaashi, and this here is Bokuto,” He introduced, also walking further into the campsite.

“I’m Yamaguchi,” Yamaguchi politely replied. He looked to Tsukki only to find his friend still scowling. “This here is Tsukishima,” he said, deciding to introduce his friend since Tsukki didn’t look like he was going to do it himself.

“It’s nice to meet you both, Yamaguchi, Tsukishima!” Bokuto hooted as he took both their hands and shook them far too vigorously.

“Bokuto! That’s too rough,” Akaashi warned as he shook his head in disappointment. 

“Don’t touch me!” Tsukishima growled at the same time, ripping his hand from Bokuto’s clutches.

“N-Nice to m-meet you, too,” Yamaguchi replied as his arm was almost yanked from it’s socket.

“So what are two young trainers such as yourself doing out on the road like this?” Bokuto asked. As he spoke be proudly puffed his chest out. Yamaguchi had never met anyone who carried quite this much confidence. Was this guy a Showcase contestant?

“Young trainers?” Tsukishima snapped. “We can’t be much younger than you are!” Tsukishima’s snappy comebacks didn’t seem to bother either Bokuto or Akaashi. The latter of which currently looked as if he was just as put off by Bokuto as Tsukki was.

“We are heading up towards Geosenge Town and Shalour City,” Yamaguchi replied as he scooped a very needy Eevee into his arms. 

“But that’s really none of your business,” Tsukishima quickly added.

“Ah! Shalour City? Are you going for a gym battle?” Bokuto hooted in excitement. “Korrina is one tough cookie! She’s got a mega stone you know.”

Yamaguchi couldn’t help but gasp. Mega stones were rare, and they apparently supercharged a Pokemon for a duration of time. Were gym leaders even allowed to use them against normal trainers such as Tsukki?

“What does it matter to you why we are going there?” Tsukishima replied stubbornly.

“You’ll have to excuse Bokuto. He really can’t pick up on social cues,” Akaashi apologized.

“Hey! I got an idea,” Bokuto barked, talking over Akaashi. “I can help you train for your next gym battle!”

Both Tsukki and Yamaguchi looked to the older trainer in shock. This guy was a complete stranger, but was offering to help just like that? All the while Akaashi placed his hand firmly onto the center of his forehead.

“And why would you do that?” Tsukishima asked in suspicion. 

“Think of it as an apology for almost killing your friend here,” Bokuto replied as he gave Yamaguchi back a very hard pat.

Yamaguchi stumbled from the sudden impact. Tsukishima’s eyes narrowed.

“Thanks, but I don’t need help training,” Tsukishima growled.

“Aw, come on! I have a lot of knowledge, you know,” Bokuto pushed, getting dangerously close to Tsukishima.

“No!” Tsukishima replied sharply, taking a step back.

“How about you?” Bokuto asked, switching his attention to Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi jumped back a bit at the sudden closeness. “Sorry, I won’t be battling at the gym. I am a showcase contestant,” he nervously replied as he leaned away from Bokuto.

Just then Bokuto was pulled back by Akaashi. “Calm down, Bokuto,” he scolded. “They aren’t interested in your training help.”

“Aw, come on. I have to repay them for almost killing them somehow,” Bokuto whined.

“When people say no, Bokuto, we respect that,” Akaashi replied in a calm but stern tone.

“Yeah, I know,” Bokuto deflated. 

Yamaguchi felt a tinge of guilt settle in his stomach at the older trainers disappointment. Tsukishima took notice of the guilt and sent Yamaguchi a ‘please no’ scowl that went unnoticed by Yamaguchi.

“Well, if you really want to help us with something,” Yamaguchi started slowly. This caught Bokuto’s attention. “We are running low on berries…”

“Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima hissed.

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi quietly replied.

“You need berries? I’m your man!” Bokuto perked up. “I know where all the berry trees are in this whole forest!”

“I’m sure you do,” Tsukishima sarcastically mumbled quietly to himself. 

“Bokuto, calm down,” Akaashi scolded once more, this time it came out as more of a sigh.

The next thing Yamaguchi knew he was being led into the forest by Bokuto. “I know just the best place for berry picking right this way,” He enthusiastically explained.

Yamaguchi stumbled after the older trainer as he did his best not to drop Eevee. He felt confused and dizzy as Bokuto dragged him further from camp. Everything was happening so fast. This Bokuto worked on a level Yamaguchi couldn’t keep up with.

“Hey!” Yamaguchi could hear Tsukishima bark from somewhere behind them.

“Bokuto, don’t go dragging people around like that!” Akaashi scolded as he followed after them.

Everything passed in a blur and the next thing Yamaguchi knew they had stopped in a small clearing full of berry trees.

“Hey! Hey! Hey!” Bokuto cheered as he held his hands up for dramatic effect. “Told you I knew where the berries grew around here.”

Though his head was still spinning a bit, Yamaguchi looked around to see a large variety of berry trees and all were fruiting. “Wow, there are so many,” he gasped.

“I know,” Bokutoi proudly replied. “That’s why I’m the best berry hunter in all of Kalos.”

“It’s not that impressive,” Tsukishima scowled from beside Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi gave a startled jump. He hadn’t noticed Tsukishima appearance. 

“No need to be jealous, Glasses,” Bokuto laughed. He didn’t seem phased by Tsukki’s attitude.

“Bokuto, you really need to not kidnap strangers,” Akaashi sighed as he came up on the other side of Yamaguchi.

“It wasn’t a kidnapping, right Yamaguchi?” Bokuto replied as he gave Yamaguchi shoulder a sturdy pat.

“Y-Yeah,” Yamaguchi replied as he tried to ignore the throbbing in his shoulder.

Bokuto gave an approving grin before turning towards the berry trees. “Now let’s get to picking!” as Bokuto spoke his Hawlucha gave an equally as enthusiastic cheer.

Yamaguchi and Akaashi joined Bokuto in the picking festivities while Tsukishima opted to scowl from the sidelines. It was only after Yamaguchi asked him to help him carry berries that Tsukishima came around, sort of.

Bokuto was a funny guy with a lot to say. All the while picking berries Bokuto would talk on and on about this and that. Yamaguchi didn’t very much mind it, but Tsukki was obviously annoyed. Several times Akaashi had to remind Bokuto not to get too excited. Yamagchi couldn’t tell if Bokuto simply couldn’t picking up on Tsukki’s annoyed body language or if he just didn’t care. The man was far too erratic for Yamaguchi to get a read on.

Unfortunately for Tsukishima, when the picking was done, Bokuto and Akaashi followed them back to their campsite. They had picked themselves far too many berries for Tsukishima and Yamaguchi to carry on their own so they helped the two carry their spoils back to the campsite. Yamaguchi had then invited them to stay for dinner for their troubles. It just felt like the polite thing to do.

“Wow, kid!” Bokuto sang as he took a bit of Yamaguchi's fresh stew. “This is some of the best food I’ve ever eaten! You need to learn how to cook like this, Akaashi!”

Yamaguchi felt a wave of awkwardness wash over him as Akaashi scowled at Bokuto. Bokuto didn’t seem too much like the type to think before he speaks.

“It really is quite good, Yamaguchi,” Akaashi genuinely agreed once he was done scowling at Bokuto.

“Thanks,” Yamaguchi blushed. “I’ve had a lot of cooking practice since starting this journey.”

“So did you two start your journey recently?” Akaashi asked.

“Yeah, about two months ago,” Yamaguchi replied.

“Have you always been doing showcases then?” Akaashi followed up.

“No, I only just started after arriving here. We don’t have showcases in Alola,” Yamaguchi explained. He felt a bit shy to talk about how new he was to showcases.

“Wow! Alola is such a great place,” Bokuto cut in. “I don’t know why anyone would ever leave a tropical paradise for anywhere else.”

Yamaguchi could tell Tsukki was going to make a nasty comeback but held his tongue.

“So, are you two here for the league?” Yamaguchi asked, wanting to change the subject. “How many badges do you have?”

“Nah, Akaashi and I aren’t collecting badges,” Bokuto said with a shake of his head. “We were just out here for a bit of training between work and stuff.”

“Work?” Yamaguchi asked, a bit surprised by Bokuto’s answer. It wasn’t every day you met working people just on the trail like this. “What do you do for work? Are you a gym leader?”

“Well, you see-” Bokuto began proudly before a ringing sounded from his pocket. He paused for a moment before releasing a long sigh. “Aw man!”

“I told you we were away for too long,” Akaashi sighed as he sent Bokuto a look.

“Sorry guys but we gotta go,” Bokuto shrugged as he stood up. 

“So soon?” Yamaguchi couldn’t help but ask. They had only just finished dinner. They hadn’t even touched the berry cobbler he had made.

“Too bad,” Tsukishima quietly chimed in. He didn’t sound terribly disapointed.

“Yeah, business calls,” Bokuto sighed.

“This late?” Tsukishima asked with a sceptical look.

“Hey, I’m a busy guy,” Bokuto shrugged. “The meal was amazing by the way,” he added, addressing Yamauchi. “And sorry for almost killing you.”

“It’s not a problem,” Yamaguchi replied, winning himself a scowl from Tsukki. “Do you want to take some cobbler for the road?”

“Heck yes!” Bokuto cheered.

“You’re really spoiling us,” Akaashi added. “And here we are trying to apologize for almost maiming you.”

“No, there is too much here for us to eat on our own anyways,” Yamaguchi brushed off. He couldn’t help but feed people. It came with being a baker’s son.

It wasn’t long before Yamaguchi had packed them up some cobbler and he and Tsukki were sending their two new friends on their way.

“Hey, the next time we meet I will pay you both back properly,” Bokuto insisted.

“You really don’t have to do that,” Tsukishima mumbled.

“I will,” Bokuto shot back, more serious.

“Thank you both for your hospitality,” Akaashi thanked, more to Yamaguchi than to Tsukashima. 

“Not a problem at all,” Yamaguchi insisted. “You two travel safely. It’s a bit late.”

“I ain’t afraid of the dark,” Bokuto replied proudly. “I’m sure we’ll see you two around again very soon.”

With that Bokuto and Akaashi made their way out of the campsite and down the dark path. Trainers normally didn’t travel so late at night. Yamaguchi couldn’t help but wonder if the two would be okay.

“What a strange duo,” Yamaguchi found himself saying once Akaashi and Bokuto had disappeared into the night.

“Tell me about it,” Tsukishima scoffed, obviously happy to see the two off.

It was then that Yamaguchi realized they never found out what it was that Bokuto and Akaashi did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well now, we finally got to meet our good friends Bokuto and Akaashi. It was about time they showed up. I wonder what it is Bokuto and Akaashi do in the wonderful world of Pokemon? Will Yamaguchi and Tsukishima ever cross paths with them again? That and more will be answered if you stay tuned.
> 
> Well now, that was quite a fun chapter to write and I have been excited to debut these two into this fic for a while now. I love Bokuto and Akaashi so much. I hope you guys enjoyed their addition to the story thus far. As always I will be updating the fic every week so keep your eyes peeled for the next chapter. The next few chapters are honestly ones I have been wanting to post for a while. They introduce more of a long running plot so I hope you guys are ready. It’s also going to be a three part mini arc thing so yeah. 
> 
> As always, thank you all so much for the wonderful feedback. The bookmarks, follows and kudos are always a nice thing to see in the middle of the week when life and work takes it toll on me. I also love to hear your feedback and reactions to chapters and the story as a whole so do leave a comment or Review down below.
> 
> That is all for now, my dear readers. I shall see you next chapter


End file.
